Ikimashou! Rowdyruff Boys Z
by Brother Bandit
Summary: Remake of "The Real Rowdyruff Z", Two months have passed since the demon, Kare, was defeated, and the Powerpuff Girls continue to protect the city. Meanwhile new secrets will be uncovered, and the lives of six young heroes will be changed foever. Humor
1. Two months later

Ikamsu! Rowdyruff Boys

* * *

><p>Prologue: Utopia<p>

The city of New Townsville, a gleaming metropolis!

Two months have passed since the demon, Kare, was defeated. Since then, the vibrant city has been enjoying a time of peace and prosperity. Meanwhile, three young heroines continue to watch over the city and defend its streets from the forces of evil.

* * *

><p>Chapter 1: Enter the Powerpuff Girls<p>

CRASH! A building toppled over. Panicked citizens ran for their lives as a huge robot rose from the rubble. The machine rose up two stories tall on four spider-like legs. One of its two tentacle-like claws snagged a middle-aged store clerk, and brought him close to the robot's central domed command module. The terrified man whimpered as he came face-to-face with its operator: one very enraged Mojo Jojo.

"Mojo!" the ape snarled. "How dare you deceive me! Your little sign promised 30 yen for the bananas!"

The man shook with fright. "B-b-but that was only f-f-for two kilograms," he stammered, "You had way more than that."

Mojo growled; the robot shook the man. "Don't mess me! There was no such restriction!" the chimp said, "I will not be cheated by this money-sucking heathen. You will pay for lying to Mojo Jojo!"

Mojo pulled a lever, and the robot flung the man into the air.

The poor clerk screamed as he sailed helplessly past building after building. Darkness engulfed him, a tall building looming in front of his path. The man closed his eyes and braced for the impact that would surely kill him!

"Dear Kami! Somebody save me!"

"Balloon Popper!"

Suddenly, a giant bubble appeared before him, and like a giant airbag, it caught the man in a great embrace, slowly deforming to absorb his momentum. Then, the store clerk fell from the bubble and into a pair of waiting arms.

Dazed and confused, he glanced up and met the eyes of a young girl, no older than fourteen. Her eyes shown like sapphire and her blond hair curled into two pretty pigtails.

"Are you alright, oji-san?" the girl asked.

Joy and relief overwhelmed the old man. Tears appeared in his eyes, and he threw his arms around the young Powerpuff girl's shoulders.

"I'm saved!" he cried, "Thank you! Thank you for saving me!"

* * *

><p>The blond girl sighed happily, patting the shaking man on the shoulder. Descending to a safe place, she let the man go before rejoining her friends.<p>

Meanwhile…

"Mojo-jo-jo-jo" the chimp cackled as he commanded his robot to quickly steal bushels of grocery and sweet pastries.

"A little something for the return trip," thought Mojo Jojo as he filled the robot's hull with pillaged goods.

Suddenly there came a cry of "Swing Sonic", and huge bolt of energy plowed into the robot, denting its exterior. Mojo reeled from the attack and turn to face his assailants: Hyper Blossom, Rolling Bubbles, and Power Buttercup.

"We are the lovely fighting legends of science," they cried, "Powerpuff Girls Z!"

"Mojo!" growled the ape, "Powerpuff Girls die!"

The chimp pulled a lever, and its arms flung a piece of concrete in their direction.

"Watch out!" shouted Buttercup. The trio scattered, quickly dodging the flying debris.

"Oh Mojo! Will you just stop?" Blossom cried, "You're putting everyone in danger!"

Mojo sneered. "Urusei! These swindlers cheated me out of my money, and they will suffer from my wrath!"

Suddenly, the robot lifted its arm and lashed out towards a crowd of onlookers. People screamed and ran for their lives, leaving behind a terrified little boy.

"Shimata!" shouted Blossom.

"Oh no!" cried Bubbles

Crash! Clouds of dust billowed from where the arm landed. Onlookers watched helplessly… not knowing what to expect. When the dust settled, everyone gasped. The little boy was okay! The toddler opened his eyes and gaped. Before him stood Buttercup, blocking the arm with nothing but her two hands.

She let out a sigh of relief "Whoo! That was close," She turned her head around and beamed at the little boy. "You okay little guy?" she asked.

The boy nodded; his mother quickly retrieved him from danger.

"Thank you so much!" cried the mother, "You save my little boy."

Buttercup chuckled. "Just doing my job, o-ni-san."

Once the pair were out of harm's way, Buttercup turned back to face the robot. Her cheerful demeanor froze into an icy glare.

"Mojo," growled the girl, radiating killing intent, "If you had so much as hurt a single hair on that little boy's head, I would have beat you so hard you won't be able to move for years!"

With all her super strength, Buttercup twisted off the offending tentacle, leaving behind a mangled stump.

"Now Blossom!"

"Right" came the reply, "Strawberry Shoot!"

The red puff flung out her yo-yo, wrapping around the robot's legs. Blossom then pulled hard, and the legs crumpled together.

"Bubble Champaign!" cried Bubbles. She waved her bubble wand around and a swarm of bubbles pummeled the robot, inflicting critical damage to the robot's legs and remaining arm. Without support or any other means of raising itself, the robot collapsed to the ground. Trapped its operator could only watch as his robot suffered attack after attack. Then, a large yellow hammer appeared in Buttercup's hand and she slammed it to the ground.

"Graviton Drive!"

The powerful attack tore through the now mangled wreck of a robot, leaving a gaping hole in its body. The robot sputtered and sparkled, and it blew itself up.

"Mojooooooooooo!" The Ape cried as he launched himself out of the exploding machine.

"I will remember this, you hear me? I'll get you back next time! Powerpuff Girls Z!"

And then he was gone, disappeared over the crowded skyline.

* * *

><p>The crowds cheered and danced as once again, the day was saved thanks to the Powerpuff Girls.<p>

Blossom sighed, "Well girls, it looks like's another job well done, _ne_?"

"Uh-huh!"

"You bet!"

"Anyways, let's head back to the lab. The professor must be waiting for us."

And so, with a last farewell to the people, the three girls took to the sky.

Never once did they notice three shadows lurking on a nearby rooftop.

"As to be expected of the Powerpuff Girls," said one of the shadows, "They're really good."

On the rooftops of a neighboring building, three fourteen year-old boys lounged on the rooftop of a nearby building. One redheaded boy sat on the roof watching the thinning crowd. Next to him lay his two friends. One boy with green eyes and black hair tied to a wolf's tail and other had blue eyes and blond hair, a little darker than Bubble's. The redhead wore a scarlet nylon jacket and navy colored slacks with yellow zippers at the knees. Also on his head was a crimson baseball cap. His companions had on similar sets of clothing, but their jackets were colored differently: the blond had a navy blue jacket, and the brunette had a forest green one. Each boy also wore black fingerless gloves.

The green-eye boy yawned.

"Can't say the same for monkey brain, Mojo got his butt handed to him, and for what? A couple of bananas?" he scoffed, "So troublesome!"

"It can't be helped you know," the blonde said, "Old Mojo is so full of hot air, I think he'd burst if he doesn't let off some steam every now and again."

The redhead yawned. He stood up and started stretching out his muscles.

"Alright guys, enough sitting around. It's time we get a move on."

His comrades groaned in protest.

"Come on, Brick!" the black-haired boy groaned, "It's so nice up here; can't we stay a little longer?"

"I second that" cried the blonde.

Brick shook his head. "You know I'd love to, Butch," he said, "but we've a schedule to keep, and the boss will tune our asses up if we're late again. You remember the last time, don't you?"

All three collectively shuddered.

"Troublesome woman," Butch groused, "alright, alright, let's go Boomer."

The blonde nodded. He and Butch stood up and stretched. Then, the trio turned to the edge of the building.

"One the count of three … One…two…three!"

With Brick leading the way, the Rowdyruff Boys broke into a sprint. Coming to the ledge, the trio quickly leaped over to the adjacent building and vaulted over a low railing in their path. Upon landing, they continued on foot running across the tarred surface. From rooftop to rooftop, the three raced across the city, leaving behind three fading contrails of red, green, and blue.

* * *

><p>Professor Utonium's laboratory lay on a grassy knoll overlooking New Townsville bay. The professor himself had just turned off a moniter when Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup flew in the door.<p>

"We're back!" the three cried in unison. The Professor beamed.

"Welcome back, girls! Great job today."

As soon as the three disengaged their powers, they collapsed onto the couch with a tired sigh.

"What a day," Kaoru said, "First the Amoeba Boys were mucking up downtown, and then there's Mojo Jojo wrecking Main Street. Man, I'm beat!"

"The monsters seem fairly active recently," Miyako remarked, "Why just yesterday there were three monster sightings."

Ken nodded, "They're probably celebrating because they have their power back. Plus, with Kare gone, the monsters feel a little more freedom."

"_Ma_, it's nothing we can't handle," Kaoru yawned.

"Indeed, you've all been amazing protectors of our humble city."

Echoing footsteps caught the three girls' attention. They looked up and found the mayor himself descending from the level above. Together, they sprang from their seats and bowed reverently.

"Mr. Mayor, it is an honor to see you," they chorus.

Mayor Mayer beamed. "I thank you, but I think it is I that is honored to see all of you. Once again, I am in your dept, as is the rest of the city.

"Now, there are some new arrangements for you, come next week," continued the mayor, "Professor Utonium why don't you fill them in on the details?"

"Yes sir," Replied the professor.

The three girls exchanged worried glances with each other.

"Girls, Ken, and Peach," the professor continued, "Starting tomorrow I will out of town for at least a month, if not longer."

"Why?" cried Ken, "where are you going?"

The professor sighed. "I will be off to New Citiesville to participate in a very important convention," he sighed, "This is enormously important to me."

"What about me and Peach?" asked Ken, "Papa – I mean, Professor – can't I go to the convention with you?"

The professor shook his head. "I'm sorry, son. The executives strictly forbid any presence of children in the convention."

"But I'm your son and apprentice." Ken protested.

"I know," Utonium sighed, "But rules are rules, and I can't do much about it." Seeing his son's somber faced, the professor sighed and carefully knelt down before him.

"Besides," he continued, "I need someone I can trust to take care of everything while I'm gone."

Ken looked at her father with surprise. The professor beamed.

"I'm entrusting the lab and the Powerpuff girls to you. Can I count on you to keep everything in order?"

Ken blushed. "You bet papa – I-I mean professor!" he stammered.

"But what about all your other duties?" asked Momoko, "What about us?"

"Don't worry girls," the mayor chimed in, "All your duties will be supervised by my very excellent niece. And as for you, Ken, you will stay with her while your father is away. I can assure you she will take good care you."

"Who is your granddaughter, Mr. Mayor?" asked Miyako.

The mayor winked. "It's a secret," he said, "Tomorrow bright and early, you will all come by my office; you'll find out then."

Suddenly, Ms. Bellum walked in the lab. "Mr. Mayor," she said, "you have a conference today at eight."

"Thank you, Ms. Bellum," replied the mayor, "Right! I must be off. Have a good afternoon, and I'll see you tomorrow."

Quickly, He and Ms Bellum left the Lab. Leaving the rest in deep thought.

Suddenly, there came a low growl, and everyone turned their attention to Momoko. Chuckling nervously, the girl covered her empty stomach.

"_Gomen, gomen_! I guess I'm a little hungry, right now." She said.

The girl hopped to her feet and made for the door.

"I'm heading off to Sakurako-san's. Does anyone want to come with me?"

Miyako shook her head. "Sorry, Momoko-san, I have some errands to run before the stores close."

"Me too, I'm supposed to meet with my dad," Kaoru checked her watch and gasped, "Almost five minutes ago!"

The two girls quickly scrambled from their seats and hurried towards the door.

"By professor!" cried Miyako

"Ja-ne!" said Kaoru

"I'll bring you some dango tomorrow!" said Momoko."

Ken, his father, and Peach stood by the doorway and watched as the three girls disappeared behind the gates.

"Will Momoko really bring some dango?" asked peach.

"Hmm, I guess she will try," Utonium said.

"Yeah," Ken chuckled, "But I don't think they'll survive the trip."

Laughing, the three quickly retreated back into the Laboratory, leaving the door to close on its own.

* * *

><p>…Meanwhile, in another part of the city…<p>

"Which floor was her apartment on?"

"Uh… I think it was the sixth."

"No, no I'm sure it was the fifth."

"Riiiight!"

Brick, Boomer, and Butch stood on the overhang of ten-story apartment, gazing up the main tower looming before them. Boomer sighed.

"This isn't getting us anywhere," he said, "We need to call the boss."

Butch stared at him incredulously. "Are you nuts? We'll be butchered alive!"

"Yeah, but if we're not there in thirty seconds, she'll chew us out anyway."

Butch groaned, "This is getting more and more troublesome! We need more time!"

"No, we need a plan," Brick said, "Boomer, Butch, I want you to climb up to each room and look inside. It can't be that hard to find her flat."

"Okay," Boomer said, but before he could move step, Butch grabbed him.

"Hold on," he said, "Brick, what are you going to do?"

"Me? I'll be right here waiting for you guys," Brick said haughtily, "After all, a leader like me have to watch out for you guys."

"Don't joke. Why do you we have to do everything?"

"What's the matter, sloth?" Brick smirked, "Can't handle a little work?"

Butch bristled. "Who are you calling sloth you sweet toothed pig?"

Akira sweat-dropped. "Guys…"

"You want to fight?"

"Guys…"

"Bring it on, leader-boy!"

"Guys!"

"What!"

"You're wrists are beeping."

And, all the color drained from the boys' faces.

Slowly, Brick lifted his forearm and slid the sleeve to reveal a watch-like device on their wrists. The device consisted of a black, silicone-like cuff that enveloped around each person's forearm, and an array of buttons surrounding a large, circular structure, kind of like the dial of a watch. The central structure consisted of a raised, domed lid colored red and a bold yellow letter "R". Each boy had similar devices, except the dial was colored green, and blue for Butch, and Boomer, respectively. Brick gulped, the dial was pulsing light through the lid and emitting a regular beeping noise, meaning someone was trying to contact someone. For some reason this phenomenon was freaking the boys out.

"Open it," Brick said to Butch.

"Me? Why don't you do it, you're the leader."

With a shaky finger, Brick carefully pressed a button and the lid opened like a clam-shell. Inside were a tiny display, loudspeaker, and a microphone. Gingerly, Brick brought his lips close to what was the microphone.

"H-h-hello…"

"WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU, ANO BAKA?" shouted a feminine voice.

"W-w-we're at the apartment, now, we just need your room

And suddenly, the voice turned

"Well, then I suppose you should've asked earlier, shouldn't you? I live on the top floor, penthouse 1001. Now if you don't get here in the next sixty seconds, I'm stripping your powers for a week!"

"Y-yes ma'am."

Forty-five seconds later the boys had scaled their way up the side of the apartment building and reached the balcony of their boss's home.

"We're here," Brick spoke into his little device.

"Leave the package by the doorway," said the voice, "I'll pick it up later."

"Yes, ma'am," Brick said.

"Good work boys," The voice continued, "Meanwhile, you're all free to go, but be alert. I could call on you at any time."

Butch took off his back pack and produced a portfolio of document.

"I hope there enough evidence to convict him." commented Brick.

"I don't think there's need to worry," Butch said, "This case is in the bag."

Boomer placed the portfolio under a flower pot to keep it from flying away. Then he put his hands behind his head and then joined Brick and Butch at the balcony, admiring the concrete jungle that lay before them. He sighed with relief.

"It's a good life we live, guys."

"The best; may it never change."

"And may it never change us."

* * *

><p>AN: Chapter 2 is in the works, but I'm in need of a betareader if someone could help me with future chapters, that would be real nice.


	2. Concerto Grosso

Chapter 2: Concerto Grosso

* * *

><p>Miyako hummed a little tune as she finished her attire for the evening: a loose fitting pink fleece-lined jacket over a blue t-shirt, and a plaid skirt. Gathering her purse, she quickly ran down the stairs to the doorway.<p>

"_Obassan_, I'm going out," she cried.

"Be careful, child," her grandmother called out, "Be back by seven, okay?"

"_Hai"_

The bubbly blonde closed the door behind her and hurried down the street. Today, she was stopping by a music store to pick up some new pieces to add to her music library. She'd recently heard about the store's exceptional repertoire of music, and she was eager to check it out. The fact that the place was close to her home was another plus. At just ten blocks away, it was perfect for her to stroll down there and get what she wanted.

Thirty minutes later, Miyako puffed her cheeks out frustratingly as she finally found the little music store. Tucked between a computer store and coffee house, the little shop hid in plain sight, and twice she had passed it by unknowingly. The store front was wood, stained to appear slightly aged. Its large display case housed various instruments and accessories. Miyako opened the door – one made of strips of rich elm and panels of blown glass – and stepped into the little store. The door closed behind her with faint snap, cutting off the noise outside.

Suddenly, Miyako felt as though she was transported Victorian London. Mahagony cabinets lined the wall to her right, each displaying countless exotic instruments. To her left there was a glass counter, behind which were tiny drawers full of numerous small trinkets. At the far end of the counter was a doorway where Miyako could parts of instruments lying against the frame; it seemed to lead to a small workshop. And in front of her was a wooden ladder that led up to another room upstairs.

She stepped cautiously through the room; not a sound was heard, except for a faint chiming of a grandfather clock somewhere upstairs. When a voice startled her.

"Hi, welcome to my humble shop."

The blond girl let out a little "eep…" of surprise, as an elderly man appeared from behind the counter. He was endowed with a great white beard and his blue beady little eyes that twinkled with mirth. He beamed at the little girl, and spoke.

"Now what can I do for you, young lady?"

"Um yes, I would like to take a look at your music library," she told him, "I wish to buy some new music for my collection."

"But of course," the old man said, "Let me call on my grandson, he will show you the way. Come."

The man motioned Miyako to follow him. He came to the foot of the latter, cupped his hands to his mouth, and hollered.

"Akira!" he cried, "Get over here!"

"Be right there!"

The faint reply echoed through the upstairs chamber. There was a sound of footsteps from above and soon appeared a boy no older than her. He crouched in front of the hole. His had blonde hair, similar to Miyako's own, was shaggy and layered. He had faint freckles on his cheeks and deep azure eyes that implied a kind but crafty personality.

"What's up, grandpa?" he asked.

"This young lady here wishes to browse our music library," the old man said, "Would you be a darling and show her around?"

Deep azure eyes focused on ones of sapphire, and suddenly Miyako felt her cheeks warm a little.

The boy smiled. "Yosh! What are you waiting for? Come on up."

* * *

><p>"Careful now; watch your step."<p>

The petite girl grunted as she scaled up the ladder. At the last two rungs, she took his outstretched hand and hauled herself to the top.

"I'm Akira," he said, "Nice to meet you."

"Miyako," she replied, "The pleasure is mine."

The young girl smiled shook his hand, her sapphire eyes sparkling in the dimly lit library. Akira couldn't help but admire how beautiful she was. Hastily, he cleared his throat and clapped his hands together.

"Right! I hear you're looking for a piece of music, do you have any preferences?"

"Umm…well…"

The blond girl's brows furrowed as she thought to herself.

"Honestly, I'm not sure," she said at last.

Akira tilted his head to the side.

"What seems to be the trouble?"

Miyako sighed exasperatedly.

"Well you see, I'm auditioning for my high school orchestra," she said, "So you see, I need to pick up some music to play."

Akira nodded thoughtfully. "You're going to Pokey Oaks High, correct?"

Miyako startled, "Yes, how did you know?"

"You're not the only one auditioning," said he, "And it's the only school such a competitive music program."

"You're going too?"

"Yup," said he, "It's a very nice school."

The girl smiled. "I think so too, the campus is so beautiful!"

Akira laughed. "Indeed." He clapped his hand together and said, "Perfect, we need to find you some music. What section are you applying for?"

"Piano," Said the girl.

"Excellent, I hear there's an opening." Akira smiled. "Wonderful, do you remember the requirements?"

Miyako nodded.

"Four compositions, each of which from a different time period in music theory: Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Modern."

"Very good," Akira said, "Follow me."

He lead Miyako to the rows of great bookshelves full of music, passing a small wooden table with a lamp.

"The music here is all organized by instruments and then by the composer's surname," Akira said, "Feel free to browse as you like."

Miyako beamed. "Thank you so much."

Akira winked. "If you need me, I'll be in the back. See you later."

With a wave, he quickly departed, leaving Miyako to her own search.

* * *

><p>There was just so much music crowding the bookshelves, Miyako thought as she strolled through the aisles between each shelf. Her eyes roamed along the shelves, her mouth reading off the names of each piece.<p>

Akira had left her to her browsing, saying something like not wanting to her. She'd watched him disappear through a gap in the bookshelves beyond the clearing where there was a round wooden table and the opening to the ladder – which was ringed on three sides with railing so to prevent any poor soul from falling to the floor below.

Miyako frowned in annoyance; as much as she'd appreciated the gesture, she would much rather have his company. She sighed, exacerbate. Honestly, what is it with men and their infuriating need to be courteous? Well, whatever, she thought, best not to think too much about it. She continued her way through the extensive collection, letting her fingers brush against each piece, picking out those she liked the most.

Finally, when she got a sizable assortment, she carried them to the table for further deliberation.

* * *

><p>Miyako yawned as she rubbed her sore eyes. She had spent a considerable amount of time sifting through the various pieces (there were so many to choose from) and picking out her top choices. And then, she'd become engrossed in studying the parts for piano. Quickly, she placed her chosen pieces into her bag and stacked all the other music into a neat pile, ready to be put back where they'd belonged.<p>

It was at that moment that her ears, bored with the incessant silence, picked up a faint melody drifting in the air. It was faint and distant, and Miyako had to strain to hear it.

Curious, the young girl followed the mysterious tune. Through the gap between the shelves she went, and soon she found herself in a dark narrow space full of boxes and crates stacked up on either side. Beyond this gap was a wooden door with light leaking from the bottom. The strange melody seemed to be emanating through a wooden door. Tentatively, Miyako opened the door.

Almost immediately, she was blinded by the intense sunlight. Wincing, she shielded her eyes from the intense rays of the setting sun. She'd stepped onto a balcony with a glass overhang supported by two white pillars on the opposite side. White railings were like icing along the edge, and the floor was of wood that lay in neat little rows. In the middle there was a kotatsu with its warm blankets draped around its side, and to the side was a music stand displaying it's collection of beautiful music.

It is there, that Miyako found the source of that mysterious music. His back was facing her and his shoulders were hunched over. He clasped a violin between his chin and shoulders, and his bow glided on the strings, coaxing out the delicious melody.

The sound of the door closing drew his attention. He looked back and smiled. Miyako stayed quiet, not wanting to disturb the song. She knelt down before the kotatsu and listened to the beautiful music. The melody was rich and gooey and layered – like waterfalls of thick molasses. Miyako sighed softly to herself, her head propped on her hands. She closed her eyes, allowing the music coat her in sheets of pleasure. So raw, so arousing was the music that it left her breathless and wanting more. Alas, it was not much longer when the blonde boy took his final stroke of the bow and ended the piece.

"Wow," she gasped breathlessly. Her eyes fluttered open.

Akira smiled. He let the violin fall from his shoulders and tucked it snuggly under his arms.

"Would you like some tea?" He asked.

Miyako smiled. "_Hai,_ thank you very much."

Akira wasted little time putting the violin back into its case. Quickly, he strolled pass to the cabinets and set about boiling water.

"How do you like it?" he asked eagerly, "Did I sound okay?"

Miyako nodded. "Oh yes, it was wonderful," she said, "Is that what you're playing for the audition?"

"Uh-huh," said he.

The electric kettle suddenly whistled; Akira hurried to prepare two mugs of tea. Meanwhile, the Miyako let her eyes wandering around the room.

"What is this place?" she asked.

"It's just a little lounge," said Akira, "Gramps and I come to rest up here when there's not much to do."

"Here you are."

Akira handed her the brewed beverage and then set his own on a coaster on the table before picking up his violin.

"So, what brings you here to my humble little loft?"

Miyako blushed. "Sorry, I heard you playing and I got sort of curious. I hope I'm not intruding."

Akira dismissed the apology with a wave of his hand.

"On the contrary," he said, "I don't mind at all."

He sat upon the white railing and strummed his violin like a ukulele. Miyako sighed happily as she looked out to the brilliant scenery. The setting sun bathed the sky with hues of red and yellow. Groves of maple moved in the light breeze, and the rooftops of other houses and shops were visible. It was really comfortable up here.

Suddenly there came a faint footsteps and the balcony door opened once again. Akira's grandpa appeared at the doorway.

"Akira it's closing time…oh hello, young lady."

He gazed at Miyako with amused scrutiny.

"Pardon me," he said, "I don't suppose we were properly introduced. I am Yamamoto Akio; it's nice to meet you."

He held up his hand, and Miyako happily shook it.

"I am Miyako," she said, "Nice to meet you too."

The old man beamed.

"Well young miss, I'm afraid it's time for us all to go home. Akira, why don't you ring her up?"

The boy in question nodded. Quickly, he hopped to his feet and put his violin away.

"Do you have everything you need?"

Miyako nodded. "Uh huh"

"Right, come along then," he said.

The two quickly descended to the ground floor. Akira sat himself on top of the glass counter, and proceeded to charged her for her purchases.

"Hungarian Rhapsody No.2, one of my favorite." He mumbled to himself.

At last when all items were rung up and the transaction completed, Miyako put her purchased music back into her bag and snapped it closed.

Akira jumped down from his perch and showed her to the door.

"You come back sometime, alright? Only, it gets quite lonely there."

Miyako raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure I can trust you?"

Akira shrugged. "Who knows," he deadpanned, "Maybe I'm just waiting to jump your bones."

"Ha, that will be the day," Miyako scoffed amusedly.

"Well then, how about you and I go out some time," he said.

"Hmmm…" the young blond tapped her chin thoughtfully, her eyes narrowing as they size up Akira. At last a small smirked graced her features and she reached up to brush his cheeks.

"You are quite handsome," she said, "A date it is then."

Akira quickly caught her hands and peppered them with kisses. Miyako giggled.

"I have to go home. My grandmother is waiting."

Reluctantly, the young boy released her hand. He opened the door for her and the noise outside came flooding in. She stepped into the crowded streets and bid Akira a farewell.

"Bye!"

"See you!"

And then she was gone, all but disappeared amongst the crowded streets.


	3. A new dawn

Late the next morning, three contrails streaked across the sky: the telltale signs of the Powerpuff Girls. Below, the usual din of rush hour traffic echoed throughout the urban canyon as people went about their business, even if it was summer.

The girls, however, paid them no heed. Today, Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup were on their way to Mayor Mayer's office, in downtown new Townsville.

"Ah, this is the life." Buttercup sighed as she flew lazily on her back, "There's nothing like the cool breeze in the morning."

"Uh-huh!" Miyako beamed.

"You said it," cried Momoko, "Look! We're almost there."

The City Hall loomed in front of them, a majestic skyscraper gleaming in the sunlight. From the square, two-story base, two twin towers stood erect at seven stories tall, and cradled in between was the a round saucer-like space where the city council met.

The girls descended to street level and soon spotted Professor Utonium, Ken, and Peach all waiting for them at the front door. The trio quickly landed in front of them and reverted back to their civilian forms.

"Morning, girls," said the professor, "Come, the Mayor is waiting."

* * *

><p>Mayor Mayer's office was at the top floor of the north tower and was accessible by a great double-door entrance, each leaf with beveled panels of rich maple. The office itself was rectangular and brightly lit by a gigantic panoramic window that stretched from behind the mayor's desk and wrapped around to the wall on the left-hand side of those just entering the room. Along the right, there was a wet bar flanked by two cabinets containing books, awards, and other memorabilia. To the left, there was a couch with blue cushions and a coffee table.<p>

The mayor himself was seated behind his desk beaming as the party of six filed in.

"Good to see you, everyone," he said, "I hope you've all rested well today."

He then turned to address the professor.

"Have you prepared for your trip?"

The professor nodded. "_Hai,_ all my bags are in my car, and Peach and Ken's belongings have already stored at your niece's house."

"Very good," said the mayor, "Then I wish you a safe trip."

"_Hai._" Professor Utonium crouched down and gave Ken a warm hug. "Alright Ken, I'm leaving soon. Can I trust you to look after the lab?"

Ken nodded. "You can count on me, Pa-p … I mean professor."

His father chuckled and ruffled her son's hair. "I'll miss you."

"Mm, miss you too."

The professor stood and turned to the girls.

"Take care, you three. And don't get into too much trouble."

Miyako smiled. "We won't professor, have a safe trip."

"Hope you have lots of fun," said Kaoru.

"Make sure to eat lots of good food," Momoko chimed in.

Utonium gave them each a hug and soon departed.

As soon as the door closed, the mayor got to his feet.

"Ahem! Right, now to business," he said, "As I've told you, now that Professor Utonium has gone, you three will need a new base from which you will operate. For that reason, I've chosen my niece to act as your temporary manager."

"But who is your niece?" asked Miyako.

"Yeah," said Momoko, "And how come we haven't met her?"

The mayor smirked. "Ah, but you _have_ already met her. You just didn't know it."

Kaoru glowered. "Stop messing with us, Mr. mayor! Come on and tell us; who is your niece?"

Mayor Mayer grinned. "How about I show you instead?"

He pressed a button on his desk and opened the intercom.

"Ms Bellum, you may come in."

For a second, there was nothing. Then Momoko, Miyako, and Kaoru heard a faint click as somewhere in the room, a latch was opened. Then, to their amazement, a secret door opened from next to the wet bar, and two women stepped out into the room.

Ms Bellum stepped out first, and she greeted the girls.

"Hi girls!"

Her remarks were ignored, as the trio remained fixated on the second woman.

She had black hair that reached shoulders and curled at the end. Her eyes were of sapphire and her lips rosy with lipstick. She wore a sleeveless collared shirt striped orange and white and a red long-sleeved undershirt. She also had on brown close fitting Capri pants and white dress shoes.

She beamed. "Hi girls, I haven't seen you since the end of term. How are you?"

Shock and confusion graced their faces as Momoko, Miyako, and Kaoru stared at the woman before them.

"I don't understand…"

Mayor Mayer cleared his throat loudly and stepped besides the woman.

"Everyone, I'd like to you all to meet my niece: your former homeroom teacher, Fukayama Keane."

She bowed. "It's nice to see you all, once again, Momoko, Miyako, Kaoru – or should I say Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup."

Kaoru gasped. "You knew!" she exclaimed, "You knew all this time, and you never told us."

Ms. Keane nodded. "Yes Kaoru, since the very beginning, I was aware of your secrets. How else do you think your excuses worked so well? It was all part of the plan: my task was to ensure that when you were called out for duty, you could leave whenever you liked. It was also to make sure that your absences – many times a day I might add – did not rouse any suspicion. Just think what might have happened if the staff knew of three students were constantly skipping out of school."

"But why all the secrecy?" asked Bubbles, "Why keep us in the dark?"

"It's for the very reason you were all in my class: to keep your true identities hidden," said Ms. Keane, "If you knew I was in on your secrets, any of you might try to confide secrets in me, and risk someone overhearing our conversation."

"You see, girls," the mayor said, "Knowledge is power – dangerous if fallen to the wrong hands. If your enemies knew of the full scope of our operation, your loved ones may be at risk, be they kith or kin.

"There is another reason why my niece's involvement has been under wraps," he added, "but we will discuss that later.

"Now," he continued, "If you will follow me, we can start preparing for your future duties. Ms Bellum, will you please keep watch outside."

The mayor led all members of the party into the hidden room from which Ms Bellum and Ms Keane had come out from. It was built like a war room of old, with a great oval table in the middle, bookshelves of information lining the walls and a giant map of the city and surrounding area tacked onto the far wall.

After making sure that the door was closed and concealed, the group gathered around the table and commenced planning for the next few weeks. The mayor introduced a new system of paid missions in which each girl, or group of the girls would be tasked to complete in order to insure the safety of New Townsville. Each mission would be ranked according to level of difficulty, from "A" being the hardest to "D" being the easiest.

"You will a full report including anything you encounter on your missions, however trivial they may be," Mr. Mayor went on, "And of course, you will always be on call for a monster attack,"

"Whew, sounds like a lot of work," Momoko said.

The mayor nodded. "I'm terribly sorry for relying you on this."

"Not at all," Miyako replied, beaming, "We'll do it."

"For the right price of course," Kaoru said, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow.

"But of course," echoed the mayor.

And so, the rest of their time were spent discussing the pay-scale and other important items.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, on the other side of the chamber door, Ms. Bellum was sitting on the couch working on her laptop when there was a knock at the front door.<p>

"Come in," she said.

The door opened and in came a weedy little man. His hair was unkempt and messy, and his eyes were hidden behind thick glasses with black frames. His buck teeth jutted out from his mouth, and his nostrils flared whenever he breathed.

"Good morning, Takagi-san," said Ms. Bellum, "What can I do for you?"

"Good morning Ms. Bellum," he said nasally, "The President of the Council wishes to meet with the mayor."

"The mayor is busy, at the moment." She replied. "Tell the Chair that he may submit an appointment for tomorrow afternoon."

"I'm sorry, Ms. Bellum," said the man, "The Nomi-Dono insists on meeting him today."

"Is it important?" she asked.

"Yes, very," Takagi said. Ms. Bellum sighed.

"Very well, I'll tell the mayor as soon as he comes back."

"Thank you, Ms. Bellum. Have a good day."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile back in the back room…<p>

Finally, after many hours of deliberation, the plans were complete, and everyone was satisfied.

"Whew!" cried Kaoru. She straightened and wiped sweat off her brow.

"Finally, I'm starving!"

Everyone made noises of agreement, and Ms. Keane beamed.

"Wonderful! I know the perfect location. Come on, it will be my treat."

"Fantastic," exclaimed the mayor, "What a great treat! Oho I can just taste the delicious food!"

However, when they came back into the mayor's office, Ms. Bellum accosted them.

"Mr. Mayor, you have a meeting with the President of the Council in a few minutes."

"What? Oh can't you reschedule? I'm about to go to lunch!"

Ms. Bellum sighed. "I'm sorry sir; he simply refuses to meet any other time."

The mayor sighed. "Well girls, it seems I will not be joining you for lunch. So I bid you all a farewell."

…

Ms. Keane, Ken, Peach, and the girls all left the dim building for the rear parking lot.

"_Sensei_, what is the President of the Council?" Momoko asked.

"Good question, Momoko," Ms. Keane beamed, "As far as I understand it, the President of the Council is the leader of a group of citizens that tries to advise the mayor on important issues around the city."

"Oh, I see."

"Poor Mr. Mayor," said Miyako, "He sounded so eager to join us for lunch."

"Yeah, you can bet he's really hungry," said Kaoru, "He's as bad as Momoko."

"You know, I'm standing right here," said Momoko moodily.

"Oh sorry, I meant to say he's almost as bad. You're way worse."

Momoko pouted. "I hate you."

Miyako, Ms. Keane, and Ken all sweat-dropped.

"They don't change, do they?" Ms. Keane remarked. The others shook their heads, letting out a defeated sigh.

They arrived at Ms. Keane's car, a silver sedan with room in the back to seat three people.

Ms. Keane unlocked its doors, and Kaoru immediately called shotgun. The remaining four sat in the back, with Ken in the middle and Peach on his lap.

"Where are we going, sensei?" Miyako asked.

Ms. Keane winked. "You'll see."

And with that, she pulled out of the parking lot and drove off.

* * *

><p>AN: Thank you all those who are following my stories. Please don't forget to review. I always like to read advice on improving my writing.

Happy new Year, 2013


	4. Martial spats

A/N: Thanks to everyone for following me. Sorry it takes so long to update, I'm currently in college, so it gets pretty tough. Anyway, here's the new chapter. Please Enjoy!

* * *

><p>"…And then, he asked me out for a date!"<p>

Excited giggling assaulted Kaoru ears as Momoko babble on incessantly about the boy she'd met yesterday. Ignoring her friend's girly chatter, the green puff focused instead on the song on her MP3 player.

She sighed. Her mind started playing back her own misadventures of the previous day.

* * *

><p>Yesterday…<p>

"Kaoru, your late," he said, "I was about to leave without you!"

Kaoru cringed. As expected, her father was waiting for her at the front gates. He stood stoically with his arms crossed and his eyebrows furrowed behind his mask. Besides him was their blue minivan idling at the curb.

"Sorry, dad," she said ruefully, "I lost track of time."

Her dad sighed exasperatedly; his features loosened a little. "At least you're here now," he said, "Let's be off."

The father and daughter duo quickly got into the car and drove off.

"Your brothers went ahead with your mother," said Tokio as he pulled onto the city beltway, "I expect them to have many questions for you."

Kaoru rolled her eyes. "Where are we going?" She asked.

Her father smiled.

"I have decided to enroll you and your brothers into a mixed martial arts class," he said. "After that fiasco two months ago, I realized that we are unprepared to deal with this crazy city. Now seem as good a time as any."

"Don't we have the Powerpuff Girls keeping us safe?" Kaoru asked.

Tokio chuckled. "The girls have a lot of work on their hands. It's not as if they can show up every time we're in a sticky situation."

Kaoru grunted. _If only you knew_, she thought.

She heaved a tired sigh settled in her seat, watching the buildings fly by.

* * *

><p>"We're here!"<p>

The sound of Kaoru father's voice jerked her from her nap. She opened her eyes just in time to see the car pull into a parking space in front of a large building.

Standing two stories tall, the building was covered entirely with white tiles, and the roof was flat but with clay tiles slanting down the edges. The first floor was marked with a large window that wrapped around the building. The second floor, on the other hand, was completely hidden by the tiling, and only two windows seemed to poke through. The entrance, itself was set above a set of stairs, and it featured a large wooden sign with the words, "Nakamura Dojo" written in Kanji.

The interior was built like a gymnasium. The walls were white-washed and bordered with dark molding. Blue cushions covered parts of the wall and the entire floor, except for the entrance hall and the connecting hallways leading to the locker room, showers, and bathrooms.

Kaoru emerged from the locker room, having taken off her favorite yellow Jacket and baseball cap; she had changed into a black sports bra, white tank tops and a pair of green shorts.

"You're late, Kaoru!"

"Yeah, where have you been?"

Kaoru groaned as her two brothers greeted her in their usual callous ways. Shou grinned cheekily at her whilst perched on top of a bench; his older brother stood behind him, his arms crossed and a smirk gracing his face.

"Where have you been, Kaoru? Out with your girly friends again?" Shou asked smugly.

"Yeah," Kaoru said lazily, "So what?"

Dai gasped in mock fright. He put his hand to his forehead and pretended to swoon.

"Oh my dear sister, I was so concerned," he said melodramatically, "Perish the thought that you'd walk through that door wearing that horrid green dress, and those white stockings." he shuddered. "I don't think I can take it."

Kaoru rolled her eyes; her brother was ever the actor.

"Oh please, that was one time. I was on a date."

"And besides," She continued, "I'm a girl, in case you haven't noticed. I can wear girly things if I want."

Dai shrugged. "Oh, of course," he said, "But you see, you have to be careful. The last time you dressed girly, you nearly gave dad a heart attack."

Kaoru cheeks grew red, but she glared at him defiantly. "I didn't know it would affect him that much."

"You nearly made dad loose a match!" Said Shun.

Dai lamented. "That day could've ended really badly, if the Powerpuff Girls hadn't shown up."

Kaoru growled. "Now look here you—"

"That's enough!" Tokio shouted; his voice quelled the bickering.

"Dai, Shou, stop teasing your sister," he said quietly, "If she wishes to dress more feminine, that's her prerogative."

"Of course it is Dad," said Dai.

"Yes, Dad," said Shou.

Tokio glanced at his daughter and cleared his throat loudly into his fist.

"Ahem," he said, "Of course Kaoru, a little warning _would_ help, next time."

Kaoru blushed. "Yeah, I'll keep that in mind, Dad."

He chuckled good-naturedly.

"Alright, now that we're all done fooling around, let me introduce you to my friend Jagga Nakamura and his son Tora."

The three siblings turned their attention to the two people besides their father. The man known as Jagga was thin man but strong with muscles on par with their father's. He wore a black muscle-shirt and army green shorts. His hair was grey and spikey and tied back with a white strip of linen. His brown eyes beamed at the three newcomers.

Next to him was a boy, around the age of thirteen. His hair was smooth and well comb, draping down to obscure one of his jade eyes. A small wolf knot protruded from the rear of his head. He wore a simple green polo shirt and dark blue jogging pants.

"Jagga is the founder and master of this dojo," Said Tokio, "You will be under his care until I come pick you up later."

Jagga smiled. "So this is your family, Tokio? I'm sure they'll fit right at home here."

He stepped forward and addressed the group.

"Welcome to my fine dojo," he said, "Here we learn how to defend ourselves inside and outside the arena."

The three exchanged nervous glances. Jagga turned to his son.

"Alright, son," he said, "I'll leave everything to you, alright?"

"Sure dad."

Jagaa smiled. "Have fun."

He left Tora in charge, and escorted Kaoru's dad upstairs.

Tora put his fingers to his mouth and blew a shrill whistle

"Everyone, gather around!" He exclaimed.

There was a flurry of noise. And suddenly, the siblings found themselves surrounded by no less than twenty brawny teenage boys. Several of them were many times bigger and stronger than Tora, yet all of them seemed to respect the raven-haired boy.

Tora spoke again. "Alright everyone, I would like you to meet the Matsubura siblings. They are Dai, Shou, and Kaoru, and they will be joining our dojo, today."

There were faint murmurings among the crowd, as they sized up the newcomers, especially Kaoru. Surprise and disbelief were the main reactions, while others outright scoffed at the notion of a girl joining. A smirk curled out of Kaoru's mouth and she raised an eyebrow defiantly.

_Oh, I can't wait to thrash these suckers._

Tora cleared his throat loudly, drawing the attention back to him.

"Okay," he said, "I want everyone to find a partner, and then we'll go on our warm-up run. Let's go!"

At the dismissal, everyone rushed to pair-up with each other. Dai found a partner in a pupil of similar age, while Shou managed to snag an older sempai. That only left Kaoru. She scanned around the room and found a group of three boys laughing uproariously about something, and Kaoru had the sneaking suspicion it was about her. They looked to be two years older than she and much taller.

This wasn't going to be fun.

She blew out a lungful of air and made a beeline towards the trio.

"Hey!" she called out tapping one on the shoulder, "Will one of you be my partner?"

The boys just laughed in her face. One of them bent down to her level and taunted her.

"Aw, what's the matter? Does the widdle girl want to play?"

Kaoru seethed; her hands balled into fists. The trio paid no heed the inferno they created. They just kept on laughing while the leader continued his spiel.

"Well, alright," he sneered, "But can you wait a few minutes? The big boys are busy. Why don't you go bother someone else?"

His buddies continued guffawing, oblivious to the rage they ignited.

With a growl, Kaoru charged towards the leader of the gang, and landed a flying kick to his backside. The boy cried out as the blow sent him sprawling on the ground.

"Fuck!" He gasped, "You little bitch!"

"What's the matter, hotshot?" Kaoru taunted, "Did the big ol' boys get beaten by a wee little girl?"

The boy sneered.

"You're gonna regret messing with us, you little bitch! Get her, guys!"

He and his pals quickly surrounded Kaoru, trying their best to intimidate the girl.

Kaoru remained unfazed. Carefully, she lowered her center of gravity and waiting for them to attack.

A bull-like roar erupted from her left, and one of the boys charged towards her.

She scoffed, _Rookies._

Coolly, she dodged his attack. She caught his right arms and twisted it around tightly, sending the assailant tumbling head over heels to the ground.

She spun around to intercept another attack, this time from the other henchman. She held the boy's arm tightly against her and delivered a hard side kick to gut. The boy doubled over in pain, and she twisted around to sweep his legs out from under him.

In less than a minute, she'd left two assailants sprawled on the ground, gasping for breath. Now, all that remained was the ring leader himself.

"I-Impossible," he stammered, "You're just a girl. How could you just…"

He roared with frustration. "No! Fuck this shit!"

He gave a hoarse cry and charged towards her.

Kaoru scoffed again. She deftly evaded his outstretched arms, grabbed him by the head, and brought it down while her knee rose up to meet it. There was a sickening crunch, and the victim fell onto his back, blood flowing from his nose.

"Pathetic," she spat at the unconscious figure, "Just pathetic! How can you be in this dojo and suck so badly?"

"Those three rarely ever show up here," said one of the other students, "And when they do, they're either drunk, or too hammered."

"_Tch_," Kaoru said "worthless."

She turned away, about to leave, but one of the aggessors grabbed her by her ankle, coughing up a little blood.

"Fuck off, you bitch!" cried he, "You better watch out, or else I will…_erk!_"

Whatever he wanted to say to Kaoru he did lost to a lamentable squeak. As Kaoru's hand came down on his throat and squeezed down on the delicate cartilage. Kaoru glowered at him, her eyes still blazing with malice.

"You're hardly in a position to make any threats."

The boy gasped for air, clawing desperately at her hand, but she held fast.

"You know, people like you are a dime a dozen," she said, "They underestimate me all the time, and you know what? That's all the better for me."

Her victim said nothing; he was turning blue from the lack of oxygen. Kaoru leaned in close to his ear and whispered.

"If you _ever_ insult me again, I might do something I'd later regret. Do I make myself clear?"

The boy nodded vigorously. Kaoru let out a sadistic smirk.

She released her hold on her prey, letting him regain his breath. Then, she clasped his ears between her palms, lifted his head close to her face, and, with a great force, smashed it back down on two the blue mat.

All his struggling ceased.

* * *

><p>Kaoru rose to her feet and surveyed the three boys lying unconscious on the ground, one bleeding from his nose.<p>

She smirked. _Weak, _she thought, _I never even got winded._

Suddenly, she felt a presence behind her, but before she could defend herself, her arm got caught in a vice-like grip. There was a blur, and the next thing she knew, Kaoru was pinned face down to the mat with the wind knocked out of her. Grunting, she tried to free herself from her sudden predicament, but to no avail. A shadow loomed over her as he held her in place, trapping her left hand behind her back.

"My, my, what a mess," Tora's voice sighed, as he observed the carnage created by that little girl.

Who would've thought someone so cute could cause so much pain. He smirked; oh how she interested him so.

"That was quite impressive," he said, easily resisting her incessant struggling. "You are a good fighter."

"_Chikushu_, let go of me!" Kaoru griped.

Tora ignored her. "You know, I've been looking for a good training partner for a while now," He said," Do you think you're up for it?"

Kaoru just glared at him.

The sound of footsteps reached Kaoru ears. She looked up to see her father come down with Jagaa.

"Pops I really like this girl!"Cried Tora, "Can I keep her, please?"

"I'm not a dog," she groaned, "_Kuso!_"

Jagga just laughed, while his counterpart shook his head amusingly. (see a/n)

"Sure, son," said the former, "Just take good care of her."

Tora smiled mirthfully. "Thanks dad!"

Quickly, he released his hold on Kaoru. Then he turned to two younger pupils.

"Genta and Mitsuhiko," he commanded, "Please take these three upstairs."

"Hai." The pair nodded before dragging unconscious trio out the back door. Meanwhile, Kaoru got to her feet, messaging her sore arm.

"The rest of you follow me," he said to the crowd, "We're gonna take our warm-up lap."

With a final "let's go" he led everyone running out the backdoor.

* * *

><p>Kaoru couldn't help but gape at the scenery, for concealed behind the building was a giant grassy knoll with a path winding its way up the side. Together, the group jogged along the winding path, the afternoon Sun beating down on their backs. The climb itself was pretty hard, and Kaoru was glad she had at least some training before joining. She could see Shou and his partner struggle in the back.<p>

She grinned._ Amateurs!_

She quickened her pace to joint up with Tora. Gone was his green shirt, and all that left were his pants and white wife beaters. Kaoru couldn't help but admire how Tora's muscles rippled from his exertions. Kaoru flushed deep red and tried to look away, but his body was strangely alluring. (Un)fortunately, it was not long before they'd arrived back at the dojo.

For the rest of the day, Kaoru trained with Tora. Together, the duo practiced brand new techniques (for Kaoru) and worked on fine-tuning their fighting style.

All the while, Kaoru couldn't help but watch her partner's movements. It was fluid and so graceful; she watched as his muscles flexed and contract with every punch and every kick while beads of sweat decorated his skin like pearls in a necklace.

_Kami,_ she thought, blushing, _I'm as bad as Momoko._

Of course, her conflicted mindset would soon cost her, and it wasn't long before Tora managed to take her to the mat.

"Oof!" She cried as she found herself pinned to mat for the second time that day.

Tora hovered over her, a look of mock concern on his face.

"_Ma, ma_," he said, "I have to admit that I'm a little disappointed in you. If you're going to be this distracted with me, then I think it is best that you worked with someone else."

"What?" She cried, "I'm not distracted."

"Sure you weren't," he teased, "As if you weren't ogling me this whole time."

Kaoru inwardly cringed. _Crap he caught me!_

"I have no idea what you are talking about," She retorted. Tora scoffed.

"Just admit it," He said, ruffling his hair haughtily, "You are captivated by my dashing good looks."

Kaoru growled. She brought her feet to his chest and pushed him off hard. Quickly she got to her feet and attacked with renewed fervor.

She punched. She blocked. She kicked. She slashed. Tora dodged hem all, bobbing and weaving gracefully, his irritating smirk still affixed on his face.

She delivered a nice spinning back kick, but Tora blocked it expertly and, capturing the leg, moved to sweep her off her remaining foot. She fell onto her stomach, and the force knocked the wind out of her.

Tora let her go and crouched down besides her.

"That was marginally better," He said, "You alright?"

Kaoru winced as she rolled onto her back. "_Kuso_!" she grunted, hitting the mat with her fists, "Why can't I hit you!"

"You're too predictable, and you're quick to anger," He said, "You barrel into things without thinking. You rely too much on your emotions. In the long run, this could lead you to trouble."

He glanced up at the clock and gasped.

"Ah! It's late. Guess we'll have to work on that next time."

Kaoru sighed tiredly. Tora rose to his feet and got everyone else's attention.

"Hey guys!"

Immediately all activity ceased as everyone stopped to listen.

"You're all dismissed for today," he said, "Have a good week, and I'll see you next time."

With that, everyone headed to the lockers to change. Tora was about to follow when he spotted Kaoru still lying on the matted floor.

"You're not coming?" he asked.

Kaoru stared at him incredulously.

"I can't" she said, "Haven't you forgotten?"

Confused, Tora frowned before finally remembering…

_Oh right!_

He chuckled, his face turning red. Quickly he waved at her and ran to join the other boys in the locker room.

Kaoru sighed and lay down on the comfortable mat. It wasn't long before sleep started taking over…

* * *

><p>"Kaoru…Kaoru! Wake up! We're here!"<p>

"Huh wha?"

The green puff jerked awake as she felt someone tapping on her shoulders. Slowly, it registered that the car had stopped and everyone was getting off. Quickly, she unbuckled seatbelt and climbed out of the car.

"Where to, Keane-sensei?" Asked Momoko.

Quietly, Keane pointed to the sign saying "Monster Ramen"

"There that should be it." She said.

The girls looked perplex.

"But isn't that…"Momoko stammered.

"Yeah, I know right?" Kaoru said.

"Are you sure, sensei?" asked Miyako.

"Of course. " Keane beamed. "_Ja, Ikimashou_?"

* * *

><p>AN: A special thank you for Bipinkbunny for allowing me to use one of her deviations for the cover art. Props to you!

u/2186349/BiPinkBunny


	5. Political Pressure

Hey everyone,  
>Welcome to the next chapter of my fic.<br>Please leave a comment after you're done reading. It helps me greatly to have some feedback about my writing.  
>Thank you<p>

* * *

><p>"<em>And I shall dare to say this also, that to have them and always to observe them is injurious, and that to appear to have them is useful; to appear merciful, faithful, humane, religious, upright, and to be so, but with a mind so framed that should you require not to be so, you may be able and know how to change to the opposite"<em> – Niccolo Machiavelli, _The Prince_

Chapter 5:

* * *

><p>Mayor Mayer sighed tiredly as he sat in the stuffy, artificially lit city council chamber. His stomach growled fiercely for its recently bereft meal. Since Him's defeat two months ago, these emergency meetings had become a regular occurrence, and the topic of the day was always the same: to complain about the recent monster attack.<p>

While the mayor always championed the democratic process, these frequent meetings have become the bane of his administration. Today was no exception. Currently, he was surrounded by the city's finest representatives: ordinary citizens dedicated to protecting the city's interests. As per usual, he delegated Ms. Bellum to represent him, trusting her sharper intellect in such negotiation as these.

"_Kuso_!" One council member swore, banging his fist on the table. He was a forty-three year old man named Okra. "Why do these things keep happening?" he cursed, "Mr. Mayor, you said things would die down after Him's demise, but look at reality: people are still in danger in their own city. This is an outrage!"

"Not to mention all the damage done on our infrastructure," cried a short well-rounded woman, aged thirty, "We have been lucky to have so many wealthy benefactors, but the treasury is being depleted. We simply cannot afford such heavy losses!"

Murmurs of agreement ran through the meeting chambers.

The mayor sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"The mayor understands all of your grievances," Said Ms. Bellum, "I assure you that we are doing everything within our power to deal with these monster attacks. The Powerpuff Girls, too, are working hard to protect the city. We must have faith in them."

"It is not enough!" The first councilman slammed his fist on his desk again, "This farce has gone on for too long! We need to put an end to it now!"

"What do you propose councilor?"

The man grinned, slowly standing up.

"Isn't it obvious?" he said, "Why should we suffer when these _things_ ruin our very livelihood? I say we take back our city from these infernal beasts!"

He shook his fist at his audience and declared, "Let us take up arms and destroy these monsters once and for all!"

The room exploded into frenzy mutterings as members argued against each other.

Meanwhile, the instigator reveled in the chaos; _master would be pleased_!

However, just as pandemonium was ensuing, the mayor sprang to his feet.

"_**ENOUGH!**_"

He voice rang loud and clear, overpowering everyone else. The chambers fell silent.

"Do you not have humanity left? What you're proposing is madness! No, I cannot in good faith approve of what you intend!"

Okra sneered. "And why not? These heathens never granted us such reprieve!"

"So are we to stoop to their level? Are we to dabble in such savagery? If so, then we are no worse than they are!" A deathly calm fell in the room. The Mayor continued to talk.

"Need I remind you of your sworn duty to protect this city and all those who live within its borders? These dark-aurora creatures are citizens like you, like me, like every other person in this city. I am not about to watch you plan a mass murder before my very eyes."

Mayor Mayer glared sternly at the assemblage. With a huff, he sat back down.

"Do not propose this ever again," He said sternly, "We can end this evil, but not with more evil."

* * *

><p>It was not long before the council concluded its business. And like many such meetings, nothing was resolved.<p>

Mayor Mayer strolled over to the great windows at the end of the hall. He looked out to the city, the one he had defended tirelessly these two years. He had reprimanded the council for extremism, yet the mayor understood their sentiments.

Things were not progressing as quickly as the public hoped, and many parts of his plan were still too sensitive to be made public. Moreover, his bumbling ways were not appealing to the people anymore; they wanted a stronger public figure.

The mayor sighed. There was still work to do.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps reached his ears and he turned to see a figure emerge from the shadows.

Genma Nomi, district attorney of New Townsville, was a pale, chalky man. His beard was short and tapered to a point, and his sleek hair reached his shoulders. Both were of an eerie shade of green. The man was formally dressed in black double-breasted suit with thin white stripes, maroon necktie, and crimson dress shirt. Nomi was a head or two shorter than the mayor, but the former had piercing red eyes that commanded respect.

A rising political star, this man was the greatest threat to the mayor's plans.

"That was an excellent speech, Mr. MayorIt was very inspiring," the man said, "Still, I can't help but wonder about your trust with the monsters that terrorize this city. As always, you put too much faith in these insects; I would have thought that certain _events_ would have made you a bit more cautious."

The mayor smiled mirthlessly.

"Mr. Nomi, it is a pleasure to meet you."

The two shook hands.

The man walked past the mayor, gazing at the cityscape sprawling before him. His hands were behind his back, and he stood in regal alertness. A little smirk graced his face.

"Election year is coming up," he said, "No doubt; the these attacks will be a paramount concern."

The mayor grunted.

Nomi continued, "Indeed, you will be tested by those who doubt your willingness to deal with this issue. What you will do in such opposition, I wonder."

Mayer said nothing; he stood steadfast, never once looking at his rival.

Genma shrugged and turned to leave.

"You have a grand gift of silence, Mr. Mayor," he said, "Hopefully it will serve you well in the coming trials. I can only wish you the best of luck. Farewell."

With a sinister chortle, the shorter man left the Mayor to his thoughts.

Mr. Mayor slumped against the glass and groaned tiredly. He had a lot of work to do.

* * *

><p>Across the city…<p>

"Here you are fresh miso ramen with pork cutlets, corn, and bean sprouts! Enjoy."

Keane sensei gazed longingly at the fresh steaming bowl noodles placed before her.

"_Haa, Oishi!_" she cried, beaming "_Domo-arigato_, Noodler_-san_."

Her server grinned joyously. "Oh, but of course! We'd do anything for our loyal customers!"

The girls, Ken, and Peach exchanged looks of bewilderment. Barely a meter tall, their old nemesis stood proudly in the middle of the table, more steaming bowls of ramen from a platter as wide as he was tall.

"Everyone, I like you to meet a good friend of mine," Kean-sensei said, "This is the co-owner and head waiter of Monster Ramen."

"Thank you! I am the Noodler, at your service," he said proudly, "Here at Monster Ramen, we serve only the best."

Keane-sensei beamed. "Indeed! You work so hard, Jiro-san must be so proud."

"Oh I know he is! We've worked together since he created me. He has always been my greatest ally."

The ramen monster cackled passionately, stepping forwards and holding out a fist.

"Together, we plan to conquer this City with our Ramen! Soon everyone will bow to us and eat only 'Monster Ramen!"

Unfortunately, his zeal caused his dark aura to seep out, sending Peach's monster senses tingling.

"There's no doubting it!" He cried, "Monster da-wan! You are a monster!"

Of course, that outburst activated the girls' compacts, necessitating their temporary retreat from the restaurant.

"Here you are fresh miso ramen with pork cutlets, corn, and bean sprouts! Enjoy."

Keane sensei gazed longingly at the fresh steaming bowl noodles placed before her.

"_Haa, Oishi!_" she cried, beaming "_Domo-arigato_, Noodler_-san_."

Her server grinned joyously. "Oh, but of course! We'd do anything for our loyal customers!"

The girls, Ken, and Peach exchanged looks of bewilderment. Barely a meter tall, their old nemesis stood proudly in the middle of the table, more steaming bowls of ramen from a platter as wide as he was tall.

"Everyone, I like you to meet a good friend of mine," Kean-sensei said, "This is the co-owner and head waiter of Monster Ramen."

"Thank you! I am the Noodler, at your service," he said proudly, "Here at Monster Ramen, we serve only the best."

Keane-sensei beamed. "Indeed! You work so hard, Jiro-san must be so proud."

"Oh I know he is! We've worked together since he created me. He has always been my greatest ally."

"Together, we plan to conquer this City with our Ramen! Soon everyone will bow to us and eat only 'Monster Ramen!"

The ramen monster cackled passionately; his mind was full of campaigns to be implemented.

Unfortunately in his zeal, his dark aura started to seep out, sending Peach's monster senses tingling.

"There's no doubting it!" He cried, "Monster da-wan! You are a monster!"

Of course, that outburst activated the girls' compacts, necessitating their temporary retreat from the restaurant.

The Noodler glared at peach. The black clouds of his aura grew, scaring the other customers.

"What are spouting, you stupid dog!" he snapped, "I am the co-owner of this establishment. How dare you call me that!"

Peach leapt onto the table, his own light aura glowing brightly.

"Hmph!" Peach said in distain, "You can't just go and threaten other restaurants like that! It's not right."

The Noodler sneered. "I wasn't being literal. A business must out-perform its competition; it must expand to reach more customers!"

"That doesn't mean anything. You are still a monster! You endanger every citizen in this city! You must be stopped!"

The Noodler growled.

"Then stop me!"

Coils of noodles sprang from the Noodler's sleeves and shot toward the robotic dog.

Peach sprang from his spot, somersaulting right over the Noodler's head, and landing right behind the noodle monster.

The Noodler whipped around, sending out another jet of noodles. Peach dodged before charging in. He punched the noodle monster square in the chin, sending him crashing onto another table.

Keane's call of "Knock it off you two!" went unheard as Peach leapt after his adversary.

Quickly, the Noodler rolled out of the way, avoiding the strike heading his way. He sent another jet of noodles towards the robotic dog who narrowly dodged the doughy tendrils.

The two leapt from table to table, battling each other. They knocked off plates and upset food; and many others customers, including Ken, became entangled in the noodle wrapping.

At that moment, the Powerpuff Girls came flying in. Buttercup and Blossom tackled Peach to the ground, while Bubbles caught the Noodler in one of her great bubbles.

"What's going on out there?"

Master Jiro, owner of Monster Ramen, came rushing out from the kitchen. He cried in shock at the great mess. Chairs were upturned and dishes and glasses lying shattered on the ground. Most of all was the food that lay wasted, staining the carpet.

Meanwhile the Noodler swore as he bashed against his bubble encasement.

"_Kusama! _You're no longer welcomed here you stupid dog! Get the fuck out of my restaurant!"

"Fine by me you monster!" Peach snapped, still struggling under Buttercup's grip, "I don't want to eat here anyway!"

"THAT IS ENOUGH!

"STOP IT YOU TWO!"

Jiro and Keane-sensei barked out at the same time, silencing the two belligerents.

Peach tried to protest, but his words died under Keane-sensei's withering glare.

"Bubbles, please release Noodler-san," Keane commanded.

The girl nodded. She let her bubble pop and went to help out Blossom free the other patrons.

The Noodler dropped to the ground at a crouch. He looked up to his creator in deference and fear.

Keane sighed exasperatedly and pulled out her wallet.

"I'm sorry for the trouble we caused, Oji-sama," she spoke, handing over a few hundred Yens to the owner, "I hope this will pay for the damages."

Jiro grunted tiredly, accepting the payment.

"It's alright," he said, "This isn't the first time Noodler's temper's got the better of him."

He glared down at his partner and companion. The little monster cast his eyes down, muttering a faint "_Gomenosai_".

"It's not his fault, at least not entirely," Keane said, shooting Peach a scowl. The robotic dog cringed and looked away, his cheeks red with shame.

Keane made one last bow and escorted her party out the door.

Meanwhile the storeowner continued to glower at the Noodler his countenance grim.

"We discussed about this, haven't we?" he growled.

"Yes, sir," said the Noodler, not once lifting his head. The owner nodded firmly.

"Good, get a mop and clean up this mess. I want this place spotless, understand?"

The Noodler bowed and went to his duties. The owner then turned to address the other guests.

"I'm sorry for the mess; this restaurant is closed," he said, "If you wish for a refund please come up the cashier and I'll help you out."

* * *

><p>The mood was somber as Keane-sensei pulled up to a parking space in front of her home: an apartment complex in the western region. On a hill overlooking the city, it was well away from the usual din.<p>

Ken and Peach were in front while Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup—still transformed—sat in the back.

Keane-sensei turned off the engine.

"Girls, you alright?" she asked

"Yeah," Blossom said.

"Of course," Bubbles muttered.

"Eh okay," Buttercup grumbled.

Keane-sensei nodded.

"That's good."

With another tired sigh, she unbuckled her seat belt and faced the little robotic dog still sitting in Ken's lap.

"Peach, you were very disrespectful to Noodler-san, today," She said, "I'm very disappointed in you."

"B-but he is a monster!" Peach protested, "He was endangering those people!"

"That doesn't detract from the fact that you insulted him when we were his honored guests," Keane said firmly, "You kept calling him a monster, even when you knew he didn't like it. There's no excuse for your behavior to him."

"Yeah, but look was he did," Peach cried tears flowing from his black eyes, "He nearly destroyed the restaurant!"

"And who provoked him?" Keane-sensei scolded, "Who dishonored him in front of so many people!"

Peach squirmed in his seat, the crushing feeling of guilt he could feel in his mechanical heart.

Keane-sensei sighed tiredly. "That is the underlying problem in these recent monster attacks. You see girls, even in the mundane places hatred is brewing in this city, and it poisons the people with ignorance. Yesterday's attack was the same."

That roused everyone's attention.

"What do you mean by that?" asked Buttercup, "Mojo-Jojo was provoked?"

"That's right," said Keane, "Where Mojo was shopping there really _was_ a sale on bananas. The store clerk didn't want the ape to take advantage of the sale, because he was a known monster."

Everyone, especially the girls look shocked at this revelation.

"How do you know this, Keane-sensei," Bubbles asked.

Keane shrugged. "I've got my sources."

"Dark energy beings are not automatically evil, but they do have a natural tendency for aggression. This, along with the growing animosity naturally leads to an explosive enviroment. To truly end the violence, we have to stop treating these creatures with hate. This is something the mayor has been working really hard for: rehabilitation of the monsters' images in the face of the people. As you can guess, that is a really tough task to do."

Silence permeated the little car as Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup mulled over Keane's words. Their former teacher opened the door and stepped out.

"Come on, we've chatted long enough about such depressing things," she said, "Come. I'll make some dango for you."

* * *

><p>Unfortunately, it was not to be, for as soon as everyone got out of the car, a horrendous explosion rocked the compound. Everyone turned to see a small cloud of smoke billowing from the city skyline.<p>

"Monsters Da-wan!" cried Peach, "Powerpuff Girls away!"

Keane nodded curtly.

"Go," she said the the girls, "Hurry before they get away."

"_Hai sensei!_"

The three girls flew off to the area of distress.

Keane turned to Ken.

"You know what to do," she said.

Ken nodded and opened his laptop. Then, he put on an earpiece and spoke into the little microphone.

"Blossom, you there?" he asked, "…It's the Gangrene Gang! They're attacking the central bank and holding the people hostage."

"Ken," said Keane-sensei, "Tell them to come back when they're done. We'll meet up at suite 1001."


	6. In plain sight

Chapter 6: in plain sight

Downtown New Townsville was once again a scene of unprecedented violence. Minutes ago, the city center rocked with a horrendous explosion, sending plumes of smoke up into the sky. Pandemonium ensued as panicked citizens ran for their lives. Meanwhile the city's stock exchange was in grave danger. A great gaping hole lay where the main entrance used to be. Inside Arturo, Grubber, and Big Billy - members of the notorious Gangreen gang had come bursting into the main trading floor, shooting hot lead into the ceiling and terrorized everyone inside. They herded the occupants to one side, brandishing their new submachine guns,and threatening to shoot should anyone disobey. Behind them came Ace and Snake, carrying a backpack and dragging the chairman in at gunpoint.

"This is a stock exchange," the man protested, "There's no money you can steal."

Ace snorted. "Really? Then what are you people doing here?"

Snake shoved the poor man into an office chair and smashed his head upon one of the trading desk, knocking him out cold. He pilfered the old man's ID tag and plugged it into the computer. Then Ace pulled out laptop from his bag and began hacking into the trading system.

"What the hell are we doing here, Ace?" Snake sighed tiredly. "That bitch give us shit for all we've done for her. She's working us to the ground! "

Ace laughed mirthlessly. "I made a deal with the devil," he said, "Our families need feeding and there's no other place for work."

Snake hissed. "I still don't like it, Boss! We barely get anything at all. Is there no other place?"

"Of course there's not!" Ace snapped, "Do you think I don't understand how fucked we are? This city hardly gives us the time of day!"

He stood up and laid a hand on Snake's shoulder. "I swear to you we'll get out of this. And then, no monster will ever have to hide their identity again."

* * *

><p>Upstairs, Chouji Kurusu, the security guard on duty that day, sat in his dark office, nervously watching the events unfold on his monitors. What should've been a normal Weekend had devolved into such a fiasco. On any other day, there would have been more guards on duty, and he could have risked a direct confrontation. Alas, he was alone and could do little more than put the hostages into harm's way. Sighing with resignation, he reached for the telephone<p>

Meanwhile, high above the streets a helecopter appeared, hovering over the carnage. It's right side door opened and three figures leapt out onto the rooftop, rolling head over heals to cushion their landing. They raced towards the rooftop access, and bent down low so as to not be detected.

"We're in position and it doesn't seem to be guarded," said one of three: a blonde haired boy with light blue eyes. He was speaking into a large watch-like device strapped onto his wrist with a thick black band. Its dial was black and grey, and in its center there was a polished blue dome emblazoned with a great yellow "R".

At the moment, its upper half was open like a clamshell, and a feminine voice could be heard speaking, "Excellent! Get to the security room. It should be on the second floor."

"Right a way, Sensei!"

Quietly, the trio picked the lock open and slipped inside. They crept downstairs and through a darkened hallway to the doors of the security room.

"...Hello? Yes they are still here!... No I haven't I got a clue what they're doing! What does that have to do with anything!" Chouji was still on the phone, shouting at some uncooperative dispatcher. He never noticed the door behind him opened a crack or a slender red pipe, less than a centimeter wide, peek inside.

"...Anyway, we have many hostages in danger, and who knows how much time is left before they escape! Just get over here as quick as you c-ack!"

Chouji jerked to a sudden stinging pain. His hand shot up to his neck and pulled out a tiny glowing red needle. Seconds later, the strange object shattered and scattered into nothingness.

"What the...huh?" Was the last thing he said before a sudden drowsiness took over. His head hit the desk with a soft thud and he knew no more.

...

"Excellent work, Brick. Your 'Spicy Sleep' was a success!" Said the Blonde-haired boy as he entered the little room.

"Hee hee hee, works every time," laughed his red headed friend, rubbing a finger beneath his nose. Behind him came their last companion: a boy with black hair pulled back into a pony tail and partially obscuring his rich green eyes. He lifted his wrist and opened a device strapped to his wrist. It was similar to Boomer's but green instead of blue.

"The room's secure, Sensei," he spoke into it, "The guard's asleep for now."

"Good," a voice spoke from the watch-like device, "Proceed to Phase two, and then wait for further instructions."

There was some beeping and the transmission terminated. The boy in green closed his device. He approached the security desk and replaced the telephone receiver onto its stand.

"Alright, enough fooling around guys. Let's get the job done before he wakes up."

"Cheeky Butch! I'm the leader around here," said Brick, pouting, "For attempting to usurp me, I'll let you have the first watch!"

"Fine," Butch sniffed, rolling his eyes. He turned the blonde and said, "I'm counting on you, Boomer. Goodness knows what we'll do with this guy leading us."

He left; and Brick blew a raspberry after him. Boomer laughed.

"Alright, O wise leader, let's get started."

Taking his pack off his shoulders, he pulled out a laptop and connected it to the camera system. Brick spoke into his own com device, also similar to Boomer's and Butch's, only Red instead of Blue or green. "This is red leader," he said, "We're loaded up and - snicker- jacking off!"

He laughed. The voice groaned. "Please spare me your dirty mind you hentai, Brick. The phrase is 'Jacked in'." The voice went on. "You will stay until the girls arrive. Then head over to the pick-up point we discussed. I expect nothing less than perfection in this mission."

Brick saluted mockingly. "Ous!"

"Hai, Sensei!" Cried Boomer.

* * *

><p>Back outside, the police swarmed into the area and blocked off all traffic. A police van pulled up, lights flashing and sirens wailing, and out jumped a gaunt plainclothes detective. His grim face, lined and thin, hid under a white fedora, and he went along huffing on a thick fag*.<p>

"Everyone listen up!" He growled, puffing out thick smoke, "I want this area secured! No one gets in or out without my knowing about it. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes sir," said the officers, and they spread out the canvas the building entrance.

Some of the regular cops waded in amidst the crowd of onlookers and tried to escort them out of the quarantine. The rest, including SWAT, surrounded the Stock Exchange entrance, closing in with their sidearms drawn. One of them brought out a bullhorn and shouted into it. "This is the Police! Come out with your hands up!"

High above, Butch watched the police do their thing. Their voice echoed up the concrete canyon and he could could see their every movement. He crouched over the precipice and observed the going-ons via a pair of high-powered binoculars, and he relayed everything he saw through his little watch.

"The Cops are already here," he was saying, "They've set up road blocks all around the building."

"Good," said a voice, feminine but commanding, "It seems we have a hostage situation on our hands."

Butch shook his head. "No, this is a robbery," he said, "They have direct access to the trading desks. They could cripple the economy in an instant."

The voice sighed. "This is all so unusual. Why are the Gangreen Gang dabbling in something this high-profile? What could they possibly want?"

The rowdyruff boy shrugged and said, "Your guess is as mine, Sensei."

The voice grunted. "Truly, this is something we'll need to look into. Anyway, you've done a good job. Once the girls get there, I need you all to head over to the extraction point. I've sent you its coordinates."

A little screen blinked into life, and it revealed a map of the city with white lines on a blue field. A single pulsating red dot marked the destination, and a small white arrowhead indicated Butch's location and orientation. Suddenly, he heard the rooftop access opened again. He looked back to see Brick coming out with his hands comfortably behind his head. "What are you doing out here?" Butch asked, "aren't you suppose to be back inside helping Boomer?"

The redhead shrugged, "He can handle it. There's no need to worry."

He walked up next to Butch, placed a foot on the little wall and leaned over into the abyss. From his perch, he could see the dozen patrol cars down below, and their red and blue lights were flashing brightly in the shadowed streets.

"Has there been any developments on the street?" He asked Tora, who had lifted the binoculars to his eyes.

"Nothing much," replied the raven-haired boy, "Although it seems they're about to put up the barriers."

Sure enough the sound of hydraulic rams came echoing up urban canyon, and two rows of black steel plating could be seen lifting up from the pavement, impeding any traffic.

At that moment, a high-pitched whistling drew Butch's attention, and he lifted his binoculars up to see three familiar beams of light coming in from the distance.

"Here they come," Butch murmured.

Sure enough, the Powerpuff Girls appeared, descending down to the streets below. Upon touching the ground, Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup struck up their characteristic poses and cried out, "WE ARE THE FIGHTING LEGENDS OF SCIENCE! THE POWERPUFF GIRLS Z!"

"Just look at how they do such an entrance," said Brick jeering, "Call Boomer. It's time we leave this place."

Butch quietly stowed his binoculars into his bag, and contacted Boomer via his wristwatch-like device. Not long after, the Blonde Rowdyruff appeared with all his gear back in his pack. Brick grinned obnoxiously.

"Yosha! Ikusei, Mina!"

Together, the Rowdyruff Boys broke into a run, and they made their escape.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, down below...<p>

"What's the situation, officer-osan?" Blossom asked as she and her friends approached the plain-clothes detective from before. The grim old man grunted and spat out his spent smoke and jammed another into his mouth. "This is police business. You brats have no place here," he said, rummaging in his pockets for his lighter.

"We're the Powerpuff Girls," said Bubbles, "We-"

"I know what you are! Wretched brats think they can do anything. Bah!" He snapped, lighting up. "Begone! We don't need any of your help!"

"Who are you calling brats, old geezer!" Buttercup lunged forward, only to be held back by her two friends. The old cop cackled harshly and blew a puff of smoke into her face.

"You better keep your bitch on a tighter leash." He turned his back on them. "We wouldn't want any...accidents to happen to her."

The green puff snarled and pulled against her restraints. "COME BACK HERE AND TELL THAT TO MY FACE, OLD MAN!"

The plain-clothed only laughed his raspy laugh and waved them off.

"Jerk!" Blossom muttered. Her raven-haired friend stopped struggling and settled for glaring at the detective's retreating back. If only she could burn a hole in the back of his head with just her eyes...

"Hey look!"

Bubbles's cry roused Buttercup's attention; she and Blossom turned to see where their friend was pointing.

High above the urban canyon, three distinct figures could be seen leaping over the gap between the stock exchange and the building nearby. Catching the ledge on the other side, they clung on like geckos and shifted along the wall.

Buttercup watched, amazed. "Whoa! look at 'em go!"

Blossom squinted. "Isn't that Brick?"

"And Boomer!" Bubbles exclaimed

"And Butch! What on Earth are /they/ doing here!"

They watched the boys scale the building, haul themselves up to the roof and disappear from view. No one else seemed to notice; they were too busy with the standoff.

"Come on! We can't let them escape! They're connected to this incident I just know it!" Blossom jumped into the air. And raced after the retreating shadows.

"But what about the Gangreen Gang?" Buttercup asked, following Blossom up through the sky.

"The police will deal with them. Besides, it's not like we can do much," said the leader, "Come on Bubbles, let's hurry!"

The Blonde Powerpuff hesitated, and then chased after them. And so, the trio left the police to fate and went after their targets of interests. Little would they know of the chain of events to come.

* * *

><p>Back inside stock exchange, nothing much had changed as Snake paced back and forth watching for any sign of trouble from the hostages. Meanwhile, Ace continued to monitor while his computer drilled through the trading system's firewall.<p>

"How long is that gonna take?" Asked Snake, "We've already been here for hours."

"It's only been eight minutes, don't exaggerate," Ace retorted,"And according to the boss, it should be done any moment now."

"Impossible!" Cried the chairman, now fully awake, "This place is protected by the best security system money can buy. There's no way you could break in so quickly."

Suddenly, the computer started chiming excitedly and a flashing green dialogue box popped up.

Ace grinned."This says I just did."

Sitting back down, he pulled out a document and proceeded to make the necessary transactions.

"Go get the others," Ace muttered to Snake, "We're getting out of here!"

Snake grunted, and went to relay the instructions.

"Everybody get up!"

The Gangreen gang sprayed a few rounds of ammunition into the ceiling, scaring the hostages into complying.

As the rest of the gang herded out the civilians, Ace sent an email and then stowed his computer away.

* * *

><p>Back outside, everybody were still tensed as they waited for the Gang's exit. The sudden sound of gunfire startled everyone outside, and cops huddled behind their patrol cars, watching restlessly. Who knows how many they just harmed.<p>

Suddenly, An officer cried out loud, "Someone's coming out!" And sure enough, the hostages emerged, trickling out of the building. Slowly, that trickle of became a flood, and more and more came pouring out. Yet, there was no sign of the gang anywhere.

"Standby..."

Suddenly, there came the sound if revving engines and five motocross bikes came bursting out of the Gangreen Gang plowed through the crowd, snagging up random people to act as human shields.

"HOLD YOUR FIRE! They have hostages!"

Ace raced ahead, holding a screaming woman captive. Behind them followed Snake, Grubber, and Big Billy, each with hostages of their own to ward off the cops. Little Arturo sat behind Grubber, holding on to a random gang made their escape, easily riding over the barriers and evading the police, who remained trapped behind those giant slabs of metal. As soon as they were clear, the gang quickly discarded their hostages and raced away at full speed.

* * *

><p>A few miles away, a silver-grey sedan sat idling in a deserted parking lot. Inside, a shadowy figure chuckled as she received an encrypted message. Things were proceeding as planned.<p>

A/N: Whew! This chapter was a monster to complete, mainly because of its importance to the plot, as well as certain events in my own life interfering with my work. But it's done now... And thank Goodness!

*before anyone starts flaming I should inform you that I'm not insulting people with homosexual orientation. The word "fag" here means cigarette, and I have no intention of offending the LGBT community.


	7. Smoke and Mirrors

Chapter 7: Smoke and Mirrors

* * *

><p>The stage was bright and foreboding as Professor Utonium stepped out into the light. He looked up into the audience and saw a wall of eyes looking back down at him, holding him for judgement. They were some of the best minds in the world, and they had all gathered to hear his plea for help.<p>

This was the culmination of two years' worth of research and untold suffering under Kare's wrath. He remembered how his own son fell victim to the menace and suffered. Yet thanks to that event, the professor had the breakthrough he needed.

Clearing his throat, Utonium stepped up to the podium prepared for him, and began to speak. "Good Afternoon, Ladies and gentlemen, and thank you all for responding to my invitation. Most of you are aware of the plight that befell the city of New Townsville. Over the past two years, my city has been ravaged by a terrible and ancient being. Long thought vanquished, the demon Kare terrorized the city, and left his malice to spread and consume many innocent civilions. Those who have suffered under his influence, exhibit increased aggression and extreme deformity, such that they transform into eldritch abominations, capable of destruction and terrible mischief.

"Lately, a rift has formed between the unaffected citizens and the so-called monsters. Victims of the plague also become victims of prejudice. Even those who desire a normal life are treated like pariah in their own city. Many are fired from work and kicked to the streets. Even worse, many of the cursed have turned to more desperate ventures to support themselves and their family. I fear that one day, this feud will tear Townsville apart. This is the reason that I called you here. With your help I hope to find a cure and end the growing divide."

"Just a moment!" A high haughty voice interrupted Professor Utonium's lecture, and a tall lanky man stood up from his seat. A spotlight fell on him and revealed him to be a blonde-haired man with thick rim spectacles and a long queue, like those worn by the Chinese during the Qing Dynasty. He smiled roguishly at the Professor and said, "All this talk about demons and curses sound like excellent material for a fantasy novel! Surely you did not come here to bore us with such nonsense."

Silent murmuring erupted throughout the crowd, and many seemed to be in agreement with the interloper. Utonium only smiled. That objection was not at all unexpected, and he was ready for it. "Thank you, Mr..."

"Hardly, Professor Richard Hardly."

"Yes, Thank You, Professor Hardly," said Professor Utonium, "You make an excellent point. Truly, none of you should be taking me seriously had I not had any evidence to support my wildest claims," He smiled. "But as you will see, I do have evidence."

He snapped his fingers, and three aides appeared, rolling in a large white cart. On top was a single large bell-shaped glass jar with a glass knob. Inside this jar were thousands of black particles whizzing around like flies. The jar rattled loudly as the particles struck the glass, trying to escape. Wild mutterings turned into rumblings all through the audience again.

To Utonium, they were as sweet as music.

"These are Dark spores, animate particles that radiate dark aura. They are capable of infusing with a person, animal or object with dark aura, transforming them into grotesque creatures. Right now, they are kept in this jar and insulated by a layer of chemical Z, but if I open this jar, they will fly out and turn you all into 'Monsters'."

Once again, professor snapped his fingers, and the bell jar was taken away.

"Ladies Gentlemen," he said, "I believe that these species are the key to our solution. I call upon you all to help me develop this further. I hope that by the end of this month, we can develop a cure. Thank you."

With that, Professor Utonium stepped off the stage amidst thunderous applause

The staff lounge looked as promising as Professor Utonium collapsed onto the tweed couch. So far, the conference was a success, as he had probably convinced a dozen or so scientists to remain on his team. The rest would either deny his presentation as a hoax or they would remain skeptical of his new discoveries. He would know for sure on the morrow.

Sighing, he raised himself a little and turned on the TV and switched to a news channel.

* * *

><p>"We come to you live, reporting on a high speed pursuit currently underway on our city streets. A fleet of police cruisers are chasing what looks to be four small but agile motorcycles. What's more, it appears that the riders are none other than the Gangreen Gang! Only hours ago, these monsters held up the city stock exchange for reasons currently unknown."<p>

"I am here at the city hall to talk to the mayor about this new, troubling development. Let's see what he has to say."

Mayor Mayer grimaced as he walked into the press conference. Swarms of reporters erupted from their seats and began shouting questions. The mayor raised his hands and motioned them silence.

"Mr. Mayor, what do you make of this development? Cried one reporter, "Have you any idea what they are doing?"

"Well, I haven't got a clue why the gang were there," said the mayor, "This situation is highly unusual. It is the first time any monster has done crimes of this magnitude."

"What do you mean?" asked another reporter, "Do the monsters not always terrorize the city?"

"Yes, but all of those past incidents were mere tantrums against some slight of injustice. Before this, they only participated in shoplifting and disorderly conduct. This is much different."

More voices erupted loudly for answers, but the mayor stood.

"I will take no more questions. I thank you for keeping Townsville within your hearts. Good bye."

And so, he retreated from the podium and wormed his way out the door, amidst an avalanche of journalists.

* * *

><p>When the mayor got back to his office, he slammed the door shut and slumped against him. He watched as the chase continued broadcasting behind his chair. The magnitude of his failure mocking him on the city surveillance system<p>

At this moment, Ms. Bellum appeared from the secret war room. As she closed the concealed entrance, the mayor asked, "Have you hear any news yet?"

"No, there is no sign of _them _anywhere. I can't seem to contact them."

Mr. Mayor winced. "What do you mean? Have they gone rogue? Why now?!"

"No, I don't think they're rogue," Ms. Bellum replied, "I think that they're just ignoring all communication. I don't know why, though. Maybe they are being pursued."

The Mayor gnashed his teeth. This was the worst news yet. Had they been spotted? Suddenly, there came a loud ringing. He lurched forward and reached for the phone.

"Hello?"

"Mayor-sama, it's me!" Ms. Keane's voice came over the line. She sounded terribly agitated. "There's something wrong," she said, "I haven't heard or seen from the girls for a while!"

"Have you seen the news?" asked the mayor, "The Gang is fleeing for the bridge! Where are the Powerpuff Girls! They should be flying overhead, but I can't see them!"

"I don't know," said Ms. Keane, "For some reason, they've gone off for something else, and they've refused to answer my calls."

The Mayor groaned. "I understand," He said at last, "Give me a momment and let me think. I'll call you back." He hang up. Kuso, where the heck could they be!

He sauntered back to his chair and collapsed into it. Everything had gone wrong, and the delicate balance he had worked so hard to create was falling at the seams.

He thought back to earlier, when this whole affair began. The drop had gone off flawlessly, and those three made it inside safely. Nothing had gone wrong until after they were leaving.

...Right when the girls arrived.

A cold icy dread seeped into his heart, and the mayor wheeled around to his monitors. His eyes scanned for the screens, silent for a moment. They, he gave a cry of distress.

"There! I found them!" He pointed at the far right, the camera watching the business district. He saw them: three boys dressed in red green and blue, running over the rooftops, exiting the screen. They were pursued by the Powerpuff Girls.

* * *

><p>AN: This chapter is fairly short, but it is chalked full of exposition. I hope you like it.

Next chapter will be coming soon, and will cover most of the Girls' exploits. Stay tuned for more!


	8. Edge of tomorrow

Chapter 8: Edge of Tomorrow

* * *

><p>"Stop running!"<p>

"We just want to talk!"

"Do as she says and you won't get hurt!"

Brick cursed his luck as he sprinted across the bright rooftops if New Townsville. Behind him flew the Powerpuff girls, Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup all in hot pursuit. From the moment they had spotted them, the girls never failed to keep up.

Brick he bounded over a low wall and leapt over to a lower building. Upon landing, he rolled to cushion his fall. Veering left, he passed through a narrow space between two huge air conditioning units. Then, he ran up a solar panel and jumped over the chain link fence to the other side. On his left and right Boomer and Butch ran alongside him, his two best friends in the whole world. Behind him, he saw the girls, still hot on their trail. Up a wall, he vaulted and hauled himself onto the top. There, he stepped onto a long metal pipe and crossed over a larger gap between two buildings. From here, the street looked so far away; a fall from this height would turn him into paste.

Thankfully, he made it over to the other side without much trouble. Leaping down from the pipe, he and his friends continued through a darkened corridor. Their footsteps echoed through the passageway, but the tell-tale whistling of the Powerpuff girls was nowhere to be heard.

"Something's wrong," Butch said, coming up from his left, "They're not following in here!"

"The girls must have flown over to the other side. They'll be waiting for us?" Boomer said.

"Yeah," Brick sighed, "We'll have to split up. Butch, take this and run as fast as you can."

Without breaking his stride, the redheaded leader unshouldered his pack and handed it over to Butch. The green-clad Rowdyruff Boy took it and slung it on his own back. They reached the tunnel end and stopped, wincing at the sudden brightness. Sure enough, the girls appeared in front of them, waiting.

"_Hai_! That is as far as you go," Blossom said, smirking. She pointed at Butch's satchel and said, "You have stuff in there that don't belong to you."

"It's not nice to steal things," Bubbles said, summoning her bubble wand, "Please be a dear and give it back—_desu wa_."

"Yeah, before we beat the snot out of you and take it by force," Buttercups, cracking her knuckles.

"That's _if_ you can even reach us," Brick mocked, hands at his hips, "You'll probably fall short of your goal."

Blossom sneered. "Oh I'll hit you all right. When I give the word, my girls will smash you and then send you flying. You won't be the first to do so."

"Oh yeah? You think they will follow everything you say?"

"What?" Blossom asked, lost.

"I think you are lying about your leadership skills. I bet that you are not even a good at leading as you would think, unlike me."

Blossom flushed. "Hey! I'm a better leader than you could ever be."

Brick laughed. "Well, since you're such a good leader, you might have noticed that I am only trying to distract you."

Suddenly, Boomer stepped out from behind Brick and held up a giant slingshot with a handle that reached down to his feet. The three elastic band, each attached to six separate pegs, were pulled back tightly. In the very middle, where the bands weaved together to form the basket, there sat a little blue sack with a fuse burning brightly.

"Eat this! BOOMING SMOKY!" He let go, and the projectile flew towards the girls. It exploded and enveloped them all in a thick cloud of smoke.

"Split up!" Brick exclaimed, and the Boys broke out of the smoke in three different directions. Brick ran for his right, while Butch went towards the left, and Boomer charged straight ahead, right under the Powerpuff Girls. Coughing, Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercups, rose up from the black cloud, and saw their prey escaping.

"They're not getting away!" Blossom shrieked, "After them!"

Without another word, the trio kicked into high gear and split off after each of the three Boys.

* * *

><p>"BALLOON CATCHER!"<p>

Bubbles aimed her attack at Boomer's back. The Rowdyruff boy whirled and brought his own weapon around. Another bomb appeared in the slingshot's basket, this one with a hard shell with tessellations of blue triangles on its surface.

"CALTROP POPPER!"

This time, the explosion was much smaller, and out from the core flew a dozen pieces of blue metal, each sharp enough to cut the giant bubble to ribbons. Bubbles had to shield herself from the debris, and when she recovered, the boy had vanished. Rising higher into the air, she looked everywhere for Boomer, but the boy had all but vanished.

Then, she saw Butch climbing his way through some scaffolding. She watched as the Green Rowdyruff boy weaved through the steel bars, poles and girders. She saw Buttercup keeping pace from the outside, watching and ready to pounce. When he popped out onto the open roof, Buttercup was right behind his tail and closing in fast. Bubbles dove from her vantage point and joined in on the chase. She and Buttercup followed Butch around a corner, over a large gap, and down a zip-line. Never once did he stop to catch a breath, nor did he give them the pleasure of slowing down.

Releasing the metal cable, Butch fell with a roll onto a narrow L-shaped roof. On two sides, there were two buildings, each one a story higher, and there was a set of stairs heading up to an overpass, which connected the two larger buildings. Butch had barely reached the stairs, when Buttercups summoned her yellow hammer.

"GRAVITON DRIVE!"

A bolt of green shot out from the hammer swing, and landed right in front of Butch. With a yell, the raven-haired boy flew from the blast and landed with a thump in one corner. Bubbles rushed in to cut off his intended path, and the two hemmed him in, denying him any escape.

"Give it up, Butch," Buttercup said, "There's nowhere to run now.

Butch gnashed his teeth. He was trapped, and out of options.

Suddenly, Boomer appeared on the higher roof, panting. "Butch, I'm over here! Toss it to me!"

Butch stood up. He unclipped the strap and flung the pack towards Boomer. The blonde made a grab for it, but then Blossom came flying in from seemingly nowhere and snatched the satchel out of the air.

"YES!" she cried, dangling the bag in the air. Then she turned around and gaze down to Butch. "Well, that was an annoying chase, but we've got it at the end," She ran her hand through her long mane, and continued haughtily. "I applaud your efforts, gentlemen, but as you see, I have your bag now. We'll just see what you are up to. I—"

"AAAARRRRGGGHHH!"

Before she could react, Brick charged in from behind her. He launched himself in the air and caught her by the waist. She shrieked and flew off wildly, but he clung on tightly. The pack still dangled in her outstretched hand, forgotten.

"EEW! Get off me! Get off me!" She screamed, loud and shrill

"Not until you give me back what's mine!"

* * *

><p>Grunting, Brick clawed his way up Blossom's torso and tried reached for the pack. His other hand clutched around her chest, and squeezed.<p>

"Kyaa!" she gasped, turning a furious red. "No! Stop! Please! Not there! Ahhn!"

They crashed onto a nearby rooftop, and both went tumbling along the narrow strip of asphalt.

Blossom rose to her knees and hugged herself tightly.

"How _dare_ you touch me like that?" She screamed, blushing furiously. "_Never_ have I been so violated, y-y-you dirty hentai!"

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean—"

She slapped him hard, and he went sprawling a little farther.

He saw his satchel right in front of him. He grabbed for it and unzipped it. Then he pulled out the laptop and turned it all around, inspecting for any external damage. When nothing appeared to be amiss, he breathed a sigh of relief. There was still a chance that the insides were broken, but at least nothing rattled when he shook the thing. At that moment, he became aware of a familiar whistling noise. He looked up and saw that he was trapped. Bubbles and Buttercup were floating in front of him, blocking his view of Blossom.

They did not look happy.

"Your dirty hands went all over Blossom, you pervert. Prepare yourself!" Buttercup growled, her yellow hammer appearing in her hands.

"What you did was unforgivable," Bubbles said softly, "Come quietly and your punishment may be swift." Behind her back, she held her bubble wand, ready to fight if she needed.

Brick rose to his feed and backed up from their deathly glares. He bumped against the low railing and looked behind him. The glass sloped down to the edge at the building, far away. Beyond it lay another building, its roof top waiting.

If he could time it perfectly...

He looked back at the girls. They did not see what he had seen, and they thought that he was cornered. He would show them.

Quick as a snake, he vaulted over the railing and slid down the slick glass. The wind howled in his face as he went faster and faster and the lower edge rushed up to meet him. With all his might he forced his feed against the glass and JUMPED!

For a moment, everything was in slow motion. Yelling like a fool, he sailed over the abyss, his arms flailing like a windmill. He landed on the white concrete, feet first. Then he tucked into a roll. Head over heels, he tumbled, transforming all his falling momentum into forward momentum. When the roll propelled him back up to his feet, he ran a short burst, and stopped. He and looked back and saw the stunned girls, including Blossom, hanging on the rails back on the other building. They were gaping at him with jaws fallen to the floor.

With a wicked grin, Brick danced a mocking dance and blew out a loud raspberry. Then he turned around, pulled down his pants and mooned them all, his cheeks bright against the Sun. "Hey come on, Old Hags!" He shouted, "Try to keep up!"

That did the trick: Blossom snarled a very un-girly snarl, climbed up onto the railing and dived straight for him. He dodged at the last moment and then ran off, laughing out loudly. He slammed through an open door and ran headlong through the dimly lit hallway.

Up ahead, an elevator opened, and two security guards walked in, attracted by all the commotion. Brick darted through another path; he vaulted over a chain link gate, and snuck through a fenced off area where the back-up generators and other large machines were housed. The elevator was still open when Brick emerged through the other gate. There was a key hanging on the elevator wall, and Brick knew that it kept the doors open. He rushed inside, hearing the telltale whistling of the girls closing in from behind. He took the elevator keys and pressed a button, and the doors rolled shut just as he saw the girls appear around the corner.

Safe within the metal box, Brick let out a tired breath and sank to the floor. Just then, his right wrist vibrated, and he saw that Boomer was calling.

"Did you do what I think you did? Dang man, you nearly gave me a heart attack!"

Brick grinned cheekily. "Are you guys okay? Can you still run?"

"Of course!" Butch butted into view, "Why would you doubt us?"

Boomer shoved him away. "The girls went after you as soon as you crashed into that tower. They're only interested in that pack."

"Well they can't have it. Not while I'm around," Brick said, "Get to victory square plaza, and wait for me near the subway entrance. Hurry!"

Buttercup grimaced, as she leaned against the elevator door leaving on.

"Come on, open up already!" She pounded on the aluminum sheets, leaving large divots on its surface.

"Stop, Buttercup, you won't get to him like that," Blossom said, "We have to get back outside, and hurry!"

* * *

><p>Back up the hallway, the three girls flew. They weaved past the two guards, threaded through the broken door, and flew out into the open sky. Once they were in midair, Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup circled around to the building's main entrance. There they saw him running out into the crowded street, pushing his way through the traffic. The girls dove to ground level and chased after him. Down and down, they went, picking more and more speed. By the time they reached ground level, they were going so fast, that even the paving stones were pulled out of there places.<p>

Brick saw them coming, and gave a cry of dismay. He ran until his legs could carry him no faster, and turned into a narrow alley way. Over a fence he climbed, and then through a low space under two heavy crates he slid. The girls, hampered by the low signs and wires, had to slow down to avoid any collisions. When the emerged out of the back alley, the saw the redhead racing towards the subway entrance.

It was a large rectangular building about one story tall. On three sides and the roof, there were large double-paned windows held in place by large metal studs powdercoated to look greyish-white. All the glass were slightly slanted to allow rainwater to drain. At the opening there were two escalators—one going up and one going down—and one set of stairs next to them. Buttercup saw that the other two boys were waiting, leaning against the metal wall. Growling, she raised her hammer to deliver another graviton drive.

Butch saw her and shouted. "_No!_ You're not doing _that_ again!"

Leaping out of Brick's pathway, he summoned a large yellow boomerang. The weapon glowed a light green and then split into a four blades like a pinwheel.

"Go! FUMA SHURIKEN!"

Pivoting on his feet, Butch spun around and then hurled the boomerang towards the girls. The projectile headed towards them in a blistering speed, twirling along a random axis. At the last moment, just as it reached Buttercup, it veered upward and struck her own weapon. The great yellow hammer was knocked out of her hands and landed far away.

When she looked back, the boys had already run off into the subway terminal. The trio hurled themselves onto the escalators and slid down the metal sides into the tunnel below.

Once at the bottom, they landed on their feet, rolled head over heels and used that momentum for a speedy sprint. The Girls chased after them, weaving past the pedestrians coming up the stairs. At last, when they reached a clearing, they flew the rest of the way down. However, they were far from the boys and had given them ample lead to pull ahead. Reaching the fare-gates first, the Rowdyruff Boys vaulted over turnstiles. Ignoring the subway personnel's protests, they disappeared down the stairs to the trains below.

Just then, Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup reached the gates. The girls were about to fly over and follow, when the officer stopped them.

"You cannot pass," He said, "Not until you've paid the fare!"

"What!_ But_ _they're getting away!_" cried Buttercup, getting more enraged with every word.

"Clearly, you're friends with those three earlier," Said the attendant, misinterpreting Buttercup's outburst. "Then you really must not pass. Not until you pay all your fares—both yours and your friends'!"

"But—"

"No more excuses!" He snapped.

With dismay, the two stepped back a little. Then, they heard the sounds of a train leaving the station. They were too late.

Blossom growled. "Okay! Fine!"

Pushing Buttercup away, she rummaged into her pockets and pulled out some coins.

"_What are you doing?_"

Blossom sighed. "Look, we don't have much time. I'd rather get this over with."

She handed the money the attendant, and the latter went back into his booth. He counted out the change and gave them six tickets to put into the turnstiles. Carefully, the girls put three tickets in the machines and then used the remaining to get in. Buttercup was still grumbling when they hurried passed the turnstiles and flew down the stairs.

They reached a lonely white hallway, empty of all people. On one side were the glass partitions separating them from the dark tunnel. At first, the placed looked empty, and surely their target had escaped. Then they saw the boys at the far end, propped against the farthest wall, too tired to lift a finger. Above them was a square vent, large enough to squeeze one of them through.

…and the Blonde one was not with them.

Looking across the darkness, Blossom could see the opposite platform where most of the traffic were. Most were on their way home, and never even their standoff. Brick and Butch struggled to their feet straight, ready to make their last stand, but they were just too exhausted.

For a moment, the two parties stared at each other, unable to speak after the long chase. At length, Blossom spoke first.

"You're still here," she said, sounding surprised and very amused.

Brick gave a wry smile. "Yeah, missed the train."

There was a brief silence, and then both sides burst into fits of laughter.

"What kept you?" Butch said laughing, "You sure took your sweet time getting down here."

"Well, you know how those attendants are, forcing people to pay other people's ride," said Buttercup, "...and speaking of which, you guys owe us some money."

Brick chuckled and rose to his full height "We would love to give it back, but it seems we are a little preoccupied at the moment."

Blossom watched the pair recover their strength, and she summoned her own weapon, her favorite pink yo-yo.

* * *

><p>"So, are you going to cooperate now?" She said, striding forward slowly. "I still haven't disciplined you for being such a naughty boy, but I'll make an exception if you tell me where your little friend went."<p>

"Heh, I don't know what you're talking about," Brick said, smiling. "You will have to beat the snot out of me if you want to find that out."

"Oh, I don't _really_ want to do that." Blossom said, getting ever closer, "You mentioned my leadership skills. Well, I can just send one of my girls through the vent, and she will catch your friend soon enough."

She was so close, that their noses almost touched. She bore into him with those pretty pink eyes, probing for the truth.

"Come on," She cooed, stroking his cheekbone, "Wouldn't you rather tell me yourself?"

"I— uh…I…" Brick couldn't get a single word out. _She was so damn close!_ "I-I uh…I"

Dimly, the red headed boy saw his friend gesturing something and opening and closeing his mouth, but he could hear anything. Only her face mattered at that moment, Blossom's beautiful, perfect face.

_Oh fuck me!_

There was a sweet scent coming off of her, like peaches just before you take a bite. Her eyes closed. Her mouth was puckered into a rosy point, and she leaned in close. Unbidden, his own head inched closer to hers, and he closed her own eyes, ready for the intimate contact.

Any moment now…

If only just…

Just a little more…

SMACK!

He felt the hand impact his face and nearly rip off his own flesh. He fell to the ground, his limbs all tangled beneath him, and he felt the angry red welt blossom from his right cheek. he saw Butch trying to get to him. He saw Buttercup, tackle him from the back, and the two went skidding across the checkered tile floor. He heard Buttercup shout something to blue Powerpuff Girl broke into a run. She leaped up into the air, and flew into the open vent.

Then he felt something kick at his shoulder, rolling him on to his back. She was on top of him now, straddling his waist with her bare thighs, and her skirt fluttered a little, barely hiding her womanly center—covered, of course. Looking up, he found her smiling a menacing smile, pounding her fists together to get the circulation going.

"Alright, Brick," she said, "Let's get to know each other."

The last thing he felt was his own pants getting a bit tighter. She was totally his type.

_Oh joy!_

* * *

><p>AN: And that is the end of chapter 8. I hope you all had fun reading this as I had writing it.


	9. Bubbleburst

A/N: Lines are crossed, and boundaries are broken in this chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter 9: Bubble-burst

The New Townsville's metro tunnel was cold, dark, and lonely. Two sets of tracks ran along the length of the station, all the while bathed in ghostly yellow thanks to the numerous lights lining along the tunnel walls. Each set of tracks disappeared into separate channels, with just enough room for one train to pass through. When Bubbles crawled out of the tiny vent, all covered in dust and cobwebs, she landed onto a small service platform protruding from the station. Immediately, she noticed the lack of sound. Other than some ventilation fans blowing overhead and the faint echo of distant trains, there was nothing to hear.

Her target was nowhere to be found, and not even the faintest footfalls could be heard. Without any idea of where to go, Bubbles floated over the tracks in search for clues—anything to point her in the right direction. She scoured the area, combing every inch of metal and concrete. Then, her eyes fell upon a section of the track where a faint bluish glow emanated from one of the black rubber ties. Upon closer inspection, she found that it was shaped like a person's foot and smoldered like dying flames. She looked around and found more and more prints, all forming a single trail leading into the left tunnel. Bubbles floated over the trail, and drifted into the heart of darkness.

* * *

><p>Back in the station...<p>

Brick lay on his back upon the cold white tiles. His cheeks were red and swollen, and his eyes were black and puffy. He was pinned to the ground by Blossom who was straddling his chest and clamping his arms together with her legs. His favorite red hat had been knocked off when he fell, and it rocked back and forth near his head.

Blossom had resorted to more persuasive methods of interrogation. Yet despite the punishment she had inflicted on him, Brick remained insolent. He still had that infuriating smile, and refused to comply with her demands.

"You know, I've met a girl like this just yesterday," He was saying, "Only, she was much prettier and much nicer than you."

"She was naked too and fresh from a bath," he sighed, "I will never forget the way she fell on top of me."

Blossom blushed a deep crimson, remembering a certain event in her recent past. She picked him up by the collar and slapped him across the face. "I don't need to know how perverted you are. You can keep your lewd stories to yourself!"

"I do however need to know something else. Where is your friend is running off to? Who is he meeting with?"

"Am I my friend's keeper?" Brick said, rolling his eyes, "I don't know where Boomer goes half the time. You should go ask him yourself."

"Don't worry, we will get to him soon enough," Blossom said, "But in the meantime, I will get what I want from you, and your other friend will be taken care of by Buttercup."

Blossom glanced sideways at the two others still in the station. Butch was lying on his belly on the tiled floor but had managed to prop himself up with his hands. Meanwhile, Buttercup was sitting on his back and had her trusty hammer leaning against her shoulders. When Butch saw Blossom looking, he cupped a hand to his mouth whispered hoarsely to Buttercup, "I think she's talking about you."

* * *

><p>Buttercup shoved him down between the shoulder blades so that his face was plastered against the floor.<p>

"I told you to be quiet!" she snapped, "Another peep, and I'll take my hammer to your face."

Butch scoffed. "You wouldn't dare, I'm more valuable to you alive than dead. When the redhead finishes questioning Brick, I'll be next. You need me!"

Buttercup scoffed. "Don't be so full of yourself," she said, "When Bubbles drags that Boomer back, you will be just trash, waiting to be disposed."

Butch sneered. "Then I hope she fails."

* * *

><p>Boomer was nowhere to be found. His tracks, at first fresh and bright, had all but disappeared. Bubbles had stopped in a section where the two tunnels had joined into one, with thick pillars separating the two lines. She had beed searching for more clues when the train came from the other side.<p>

First, the Bubbles saw growing light, and then she heard the tunnel's rumbling loudly. The whole tunnel shook as though an earthquake earthquake had struck. Then, all of a sudden, there came a loud horn blast, ripping through her ears. Bright lights stabbed through her eyes, and a torrent of wind slammed her against the tunnel wall with enough force to drive all the wind out of her. Then there came a headsplitting squeal of metal scraping metal.

Unable to breath, and terribly confused, Bubbles felt panic bubbling into her mouth. She stumbled to her feet and fled as fast as her legs could carry her. Forgetting all about her powers, she kept running, and running, and running, until her legs could run no more. Pain raced up her calves as they cramped up, and she crashed through an open doorway and went spraling on the grimy floor. The impact bruised her body and and the friction tore up her knees.

Dirty, sweaty, and fatigued, Bubbles rolled onto her back. Her chest rose and fell, and she struggled to even breathe, but the stale air would not relent. She was also completely blind to the world and could not even see where she was.

For a girl who had a privileged existence, this was all too much. Normally, she had a bath twice a day and kept her nails well manicured. At school, everyone loved her. The boys crowded the hallways to see her, and filled her shoe box with love letters. She was the fashionetta of her age and was ever ahead of the latest trend. All her life, Bubbles grew up in luxury and was pampered.

All that meant squat down here in the stifling darkness. Now, she was lying in filth, and was as dirty as she had ever been. She was bruised all over, and bleeding, not just from her knees. She was all alone in the dark, and not a soul could could be seen. Wretched and forgotten, she knew that there would be no knights in shining armor to save her.

She felt tears spill out from her eyes. She tried to wipe them away, but only succeeded in smearing dirt all over her face. They fell despite her efforts. This was the worst.

Alone in the darkness, Bubbles curled into a ball, and wept uncontrollably.

* * *

><p>Butch saw the train roll into the station on the opposite side. He watched as its doors open and release its occupants. Meanwhile more people were flooding into the cabin and refilling the train to the brink. There was a blast of horn and the train closed its doors.<p>

Lying prone on the ground, with his cheeks glued to the tiles, Butch could only groan and watch the train depart. He could feel hands on his body, incessantly searching for something. They invaded his pockets and groped dangerously close to is most sensitive regions.

"What are you doing?" he hissed, "Stop touching me there!"

Buttercup rolled her eyes, and continued rummaging through his pockets. "Oh grow up will you." She said, rolling her eyes.

Her Hands closed around his leather wallet, and she cried, "Ahah!", and pulled it out.

Opening its folds, Buttercup upended it so that coins cascaded onto her open palm.

"Is this a thing now? Thieving?" Butch protested, " Hey, that's _my_ money you're taking!"

"I'm just getting what you owe me. Those subway tickets weren't cheap, you know," She said. When the last coin fell out of its leather case, Buttercup pocketed the change and tossed back in the now empty wallet.

"Not that you don't deserve it," she added, "I bet you stole some of this money yourself, didn't you?"

Butch rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

Soon, this farce would end, one way or another.

* * *

><p>Bubbles had been crying for a long time. Whatever time it was, she had long since forgotten. Even as she sat up, her tears kept gradually she was feeling much better. Lying motionless on the ground had calmed her down and allowed her body to recover its strength. At the same time, her eyes had finally adjusted to the darkness and could make out the contours of a stairwell. She also saw other doorways that were either locked or had no visible handles.<p>

Then, she saw, to her astonishment, a familiar glow of blue. She wiped away her tears and looked again; they were still there, glowing brightly like will-o-wisps. A trail of them wound up the staircase, across a catwalk, over the opposite tunnel, and through a broken doorway. Bubbles followed the the tracks slowly, limping along. Her blood had stained her skin around her knees. Her joints were aching, and her muscles were still cramping badly in her legs.

She wound up in a small chamber with a desk and some racks full of broken computers. There was a large hole in the wall, opposite, and she could see nothing but black nothingness beyond. At the same time, she felt cold air blowing in from the hole, much fresher than the stale air of the metro tunnels.

Curious, Bubbles gingerly stepped over the hole, and accidently kicked a loose section of the wall. She felt her heart beat many times before there was any sound. Then far below, as if rising from some invisible depths, there came a "clatter" very distant, but magnified and repeated a hundred times in echo.

"What was that?"

"I don't know. it came from over there."

Two points of light, no larger than two stars in the night sky, suddenly appeared down in the abyss. Like fireflies they wandered about, casting a wide cone of light. They illuminated the massive concrete pillars holding up a huge vault.

Created to catch flood waters should they infiltrate the city, this artificial cavern rose more than eight stories high, and stretched as far as the eyes could see. Bubbles saw that her little hole led directly into the dark abyss. Had she truly crossed over, she would have fallen to her death, her powers notwithstanding.

The lights had save her, but they were also looking for her.

One bright circle was moving towards her, and they were closing in fast. Bubbles had stepped back, and was just thinking of ducking away, when suddenly, a hand shot out from behind and clamped down hard on her mouth. Blind panic consumed her once more, and Bubbles struggled with all her might but to no avail. Another arm wrapped around her body and bound her own limbs together in a tight embrace.

Warm breath tickled her hair, whispering into her ear. "Shhhhhh… it's just me."

Then, just as the light would reach her face, those arms dragged her back into the heart darkness.

* * *

><p>Blossom stared down at that boyish face, still smiling despite the abuse inflicted on him. His carefree demeanor vexed her to no end and his refusal to comply aggravated her.<p>

"You are making this harder on yourself," She said, narrowing her eyes, "If only you would tell me what I want to know, I promise to be merciful when Bubbles drags with your friend back."

"Fuck you," he said, "You're just wasting your time. Meanwhile you let the Gangreen Gang get away. You know? The _real_ thieves?"

"I'm asking the questions here," she snapped, "Who do you work for? It's obvious that you're delivering the bag to someone in the city. And I know that you at least know where to find this person. I will be satisfied if you could just tell me."

But Brick ignored her. "I don't know why you've come after us. It's obvious to _me _that you went after the wrong people. I'll give you credit for actually noticing us. Not everyone tries to look up, not even when they're supposed to."

"You didn't disappoint: you let the real thieves get away." He went on, "And then, when I reminded you of that important thing, you just ignored me. Even for a guy like me, that's just cold."

Blossom grimaced. She released his collar and let his head bounced off the tiles. "You were involved in robbery this morning," she said, "I want to know what you were doing there and what you took. You _will_ answer my questions."

But Brick stuck out his tongue. "LIke hell I would tell you, old hag!"

She slapped him, hard. "_Don't call me that ever again!_" She snarled, "_Tell me what you've been up to!_"

"Hah!" Brick spat out a phlem of blood. "The more you hit the less I say! You think beating on me to get you anything? You have nothing, _nothing_ to threaten me with!"

* * *

><p>"<em>Kuso!<em>"

Blossom cursed in frustration. Nothing was working, even cold-blooded torture could not get him to talk. _He just was so stubborn!_

Blossom leaned back and glared into those ruby red eyes still burning with defiance. Then, her gaze shifted to his right jaw where a large yellow bandage was plastered over the skin. She traced its contours and found it slightly raised and smooth to the touch.

"Where did you get this,?" Blossom wondered out loud, not really looking for an answer.

"Oh that? It's nothing really. I got into a fight when I was little, and the jerk cut me with his knife. It's never properly healed since."

"You had to get 13 stitches there afterwards," Blossom said slowly, as the gear in her head began to move, "And then your parents got worried and sent you to live here in New Tokyo. Now you live with your cousin, and work with her in a little pastry shop in the middle of the city."

There was a pause, and Blossom could see the dawning of fear on his face. She cupped his cheek in her hand and bore into those eyes. "Did I get it right?"

She felt the pulse quicken and the jaw muscles saw the nostrils flair, as His fear grew. He swallowed a lump in his throat and said, "That's right, but how did you know that?"

It was Blossom's turn to smile. "Because you told me."

Watching his face crumble into confused terror was much more satisfying than she had thought. Blossom leaned in close and whispered into his ear. "I know you better than you think, Brick. There are no secrets between us. I too met another boy in this way yesterday. He was gentle and kind and cute and so unlike you. He was also naked like on his birthday. I really liked him."

"H-how… How could you… no way!"

She leaned in until her nose touched his and her breath fell upon his cheeks. "Don't you recognize me Brick?" She cooed, "Or rather Kaname Akagi-Kun?"

She watched those ruby red eyes rake over her. She saw the realization appear in those beautiful eyes. Then, almost timidly, he spoke.

"...Momoko? Is that you?"


End file.
